Video: Reuters Russia Investment Summit

By James Kimer | Published: October 9, 2007

Below are several interviews from experts at last month’s Reuters Russia Investment Summit. Naturally, many of these business and investment figures featured in these interviews feel quite sanguine about the way things are going in Russia. However, these bullish outlooks contrast sharply with Putin’s new call to reduce the foreign presence in the economy, the regulatory attack on Barrick Gold and Highland Gold Mining, and the anti-trust authorities blocking a Siemens acquisition. Then again, capital inflow to Russia has already exceeded $70 billion from the beginning of the year, so it may in fact be irrelevant that there isn’t a welcome mat put out for investors.

Rosneft CFO Peter O’Brien says the company is not looking for more acquisitions right now, and is “very focused on integrating and optimizing the asset base that we currently have.”

Oleg Vyugin of MDM Bank talks about political risk

Pyotr Kazakevich, Deputy Director, Russian Finance Ministry talks about the healthy status of the state’s massive stabilization fund.

Patricia Cloherty, Chairman and CEO, Delta Private Equity Partners, says “the capitalist genie appears to be out of the bottle and stability seems to be the desirable order of the day” in Russia.