Great Expectations

Latvian business is expected in Russia. And the Russian one is in Latvia

On November 25 and 26, 2003, a meeting of the Russian-Latvian Business Cooperation Council was held in Pskov. The Council has existed since 1996, so that there are as few barriers as possible in the way of interaction between businessmen from Russia and Latvia.

Co-chairman from the Russian side, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Pskov region Vladimir Zubov, speaking at the Council, said: "The time has come to move from raw material supplies to at least a small production." Mr. Zubov also said that the purchasing power of Russians today has surpassed the pre-crisis level of 1998. Therefore, the criterion of quality becomes more important than the low price. “Latvian goods, which have proven themselves in Russia for a long time, require the expansion of the range,” said the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Pskov region.

Pskov Vice Governor Dmitry Shakhov, who was present at the meeting, told entrepreneurs the good news: “An investor who intends to invest two million dollars or more in the region's economy will receive administrative support. That is, a special employee will be attached to him from the regional administration, so that there are no bureaucratic barriers in front of the business.”

Mr. Shakhov also informed that there is a special hotel in the region's executive power, "which will explain to everyone, free of charge (!) the investment advantages of the Pskov region compared to its neighbors." It seems that if the department consulted for money, then the "advantages" of our region would be obvious.

Dmitry Shakhov urged entrepreneurs not to be afraid to do business in Russia and the Pskov region, and then frankly admitted that he would not be able to participate in the work of the Council all day, since “we are now having a rather difficult time - the election of deputies of the State Duma and, unfortunately, one way or another, you have to take part in this procedure.

According to Marina Pankova, an employee of the Foreign Economic Relations Department of the Latvian Ministry of Economics, Latvian exports as a whole have grown significantly in recent years. At the same time, exports to Russia fell by 61%. Ms. Pankova noted that economic cooperation is affected by the “not very good political environment” in Russia. But, according to Marina Pankova, thanks to the position of the leadership of the Pskov region, relations between Latvia and our region will develop well.

Added optimism and the first deputy head of the Pskov customs Igor Korenkov. He said that in connection with the entry into force of the new Customs Code on January 1, 2004, the philosophy of the Russian customs is changing: “If before the customs was for the customs, then the customs for the state, now the customs will be for business.” This statement can be considered simply revolutionary. The new Code, according to Mr. Korenkov, is as close as possible to the requirements of the International Customs Organization and European laws. At the same time, Igor Korenkov complained that the new document had gone ahead of Russia's economic laws, expressing the hope that this gap would soon be overcome.

Co-Chairman of the Council from the Latvian side, Liepaja free economic zone manager Gunnar Kazeks addressed the Pskov businessmen: “Russian entrepreneurs are expected in Latvia. So far, they are not very noticeable in our country, although the first arrival of Russian capital in Liepaja gave a positive result: the Liepaja fish cannery, after two unsuccessful privatizations, began to revive.

Konstantin SHMORAGA.