| MOSCOW, Sept. 27 - Energy executives and government
officials from Russia and the United States will meet in Houston
next week to discuss energy cooperation at a time when concerns
A regular participant of the Salzburg European Economic Forum,
the leader of YABOKO Grigory Yavlinsky refused to participate
in the forum this year on grounds of principle.
Grigory Yavlinsky: The time for propaganda has passed.
Over the past few years the Russian press has stated that the
Davos Forum has lost its relevance. I think they are wrong.
The Russian press has regarded Davos as a world capital "behind
the scenes", something that Davos has never claimed to be.
In reality Davos is a serious investment forum. Like all other
other nations, Russians have to come there to explain to their
potential partners Russia's investment appeal, the economic specifics
and prospects of the country, formulate medium-term and long-term
goals and understand the requirements of the international community
regarding our investment climate. In other words, honest and professional
discussions should be held in Davos and Salzburg, where part of
the forum devoted to European issues is held annually.
This year, after ten years of regular participation at this
forum, I decided that I could not accept the invitation. This
is indeed directly linked to the abrupt deterioration in relations
with Georgia. However, my decision was primarily attributable
to other issues. Russian propaganda and its political and professional
imagemakers have been persuading everyone for the past 30 months
that the situation in Russia has stabilised, the vertical of power
has strengthened and that economic growth has been achieved.
As time passes, however, the real situation is becoming more
clear. The war in Chechnya is still going on. Xenophobia and nationalism
have gradually evolved from a latent phenomena into overt aggression.
Government draft laws, submitted to the Duma for adoption this
autumn, that for a review of all sub-soil licences demonstrate
the "stability" in the country. And finally one of the
top managers of the largest oil company in Russia and the world
simply disappears in broad daylight (Ed. This is a reference to
the kidnapping of Sergei Kukura, financial director of Lukoil).
None of the Cabinet members came to the forum, for obvious reasons.
Instead of merely maintaining its weak and sickly economy, Russia
is in vital need of consolidation and development. This can be
achieved without investments. But in the present circumstances
this is something we cannot talk about, especially not in Salzburg.
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