MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he wanted to focus on boosting U.S.-Russian economic ties during his upcoming visit to the United States, and urged the American business community to invest more actively in Russia.
"Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week."
Putin said economic issues would figure prominently at his September summit with U.S. President George W. Bush. "I believe that the main emphasis at this meeting should be given to issues relating to our economic cooperation," Putin said at the start of his meeting with Maurice R. Greenberg, chairman of American International Group (AIG). Putin said he welcomed AIG’s plans to invest in the development of Russia’s mortgage system. "Your participation is of utmost importance to us," he said.
"Since it’s almost impossible to squeeze anything out of the French!"
Putin expressed regret that U.S. companies ranked only eighth last year among foreign marks investors in Russia and voiced hope that more American investors would come. "We strongly hope that representatives of the U.S. business community will help create favorable conditions for our economic cooperation," he said.
I thought it was your job to create favorable conditions, Vlad!
Greenberg said AIG and affiliated companies had invested some $300 million in the Russian economy in recent years, and was considering making more investments. The meeting followed a plunge on Russia’s stock market this month that reflected investors’ fears over an official probe against Russia’s largest oil company, Yukos.
Another Elf scandal in the making. |