WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) Moscow is prepared to launch a mechanism of the Consultative Business Council with the United States but is waiting for reciprocal steps from Washington, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said during opening remarks at an event on Thursday.
"One of the initiatives suggested at the highest level, which is intended to implement the understanding of the heads of states, is to establish... a Consultative Business Council including business leaders," Antonov said at the annual US-Russia Business Council (USRBC) meeting. "As for the Russian side, we are ready to launch the mechanism. We have proposed concrete ideas to the US administration and now we are waiting for reciprocal steps from Washington."
Antonov underscored that he was sure that much will depend on the consolidated position of US entrepreneurs.
"At least in my conversations with [US] Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this year, they assured me that in its economic policy the White House is guided, first of all, by the voice of national businesses. It is encouraging that the American business community keeps on working actively in Russia despite all the restrictions," the ambassador said.
Antonov continued to say that Moscow sees a great potential of commercial ties in chemical and light industries, construction, transport, agriculture, medicine, services and information technology.
"By the way, international experts mark the high level of Russian pilot projects - so called 'startups' - in advanced technologies and telecommunications," he said. "Direct ties between regions could also provide a solid boost for business cooperation. Heads of Regions of the Russian Federation also tell us about their readiness to engage in a direct dialogue with American businesses."
Antonov also pointed out that anti-Russia sanctions impact businesses most.
"Of course, in the conditions of never-ending sanctions (there were 90 rounds since 2011) and trade barriers, imposed by the administration, it is extremely difficult to sustain a constructive agenda of our bilateral relations," he said. "We see that business is the most affected. Business operators have to look for law "gaps" to fulfill joint projects and not to be punished by their own government."
Antonov stressed, however, that the development of trade and investment relations could make a stabilizing impact on all the complexities of the ties between Moscow and Washington.
"This was acknowledged by our presidents multiple times. Donald Trump personally spoke out in favor of a qualitative increase of business contacts," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward an initiative to establish a group uniting Russian and US business "captains" during his historic meeting with US President Donald Trump in Helsinki in July 2018.
The Russian-US advisory business council is expected to determine steps for expanding the bilateral cooperation on trade and investment. However, no sessions have been held so far.
