What message does Pace Global want to send to American readers about doing business in Russia today?
Vyacheslav Mischenko: There is a perception, perhaps lingering from the Cold War attitude and old confrontations, that today Russia is still neither fully democratic, nor a fully functioning market economy. In the oil and gas sector, there are worries over stability of ownership and capital investments.. However, it is critical to remember that such situations may occur in many types of markets, no matter how developed they are. When considering Russia, companies should instead focus on the wealth of opportunities available in the country for doing business on the long-term basis. The experiences of European companies in Russia shall be taken as an example for American businessmen to examine and follow. Companies from Germany, Italy, France, and Scandinavia are active in the Russian market today. High level decisions were made that helped these national businesses to overcome their fears of Russia, which turned out to be a positive decision. Fifteen years ago, the Russian market was un
