Medvedev to hold conf' on investclimate in Russia Tue.

MOSCOW, February 2 (Itar-Tass) - President Dmitry Medvedev is to hold
a conference here on Tuesday to discuss matters concerning the investment
climate in Russia.
Kremlin analysts believe that the state of the investment climate is
made up of not only purely economin components but also takes shape under
the influence of other factors as well. In this sense, the
President-chaired conference can give a positive signal to potential
investors that took up a more guarded attitude or a wait-ad-see one in the
period of financial downturn.
The Head of State himself repeatedly spoke of an intention to raise
this theme. "It is time we returned to the matter concerning the
investment climate in our country," he told a meeting on economic matters
in mid-January, in particular."
He is convinced that "This does not mean that it (the investment
climate) in our country is overly bad. However, frankly speaking, in the
recent period we did not do much to improve it, apart from getting out of
the downturn, engaging in modernising our own country, our own economy and
switching over to a high-technology, investment-wise and innovations-based
way of developement."
"I suggest devoting a special big conference to this matter and I an
assigning the govevrnment, specifically the Minister of Economic
Development, the Minister of Finance, and other colleagues to prepare
essential proposals," Medvedev said then.
The theme of investment climate had been also touched upon by Medvedev
earlier as well, at a conference on the development of small and
medium-sized businesses in summer 2008. The Head of State said at that
time, "All the decrees and laws will be absolutely insufficient (in this
respect). They will simply produce zero effect if we fail to establish a
full-value auspicious business climate in our country".
"What we need is a normal investment climate in our country, and this
is a task for absolutely all of us -- both the authorities as a whole, law
enforcement agencies, and businesses," the President emphasized.
Medvedev is convinced that "Everyone must participate in bringing
about a business climate: if we do not do that together, all our efforts
will be to no avail".

.Ukraine ought to take part in building Nord Stream--view.

KIEV, February 2 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine ought to file an application
for participation in building a Nord Stream gas trunk line, Viktor
Yanukovich, leader of Ukraine's Party of Regions and presidential
candidate, told the Ukrainian ICTV television channel in a live broadcast
on Monday. "We were obliged to do this. Ukraine could have supplied its
pipes, gas pumping stations and other equipment," he said.
In so doingYanukovich assured the audience that he would do everything
for Ukraine to be a reliable transiter of Russian gas. "Ever since 2004 we
have been suggesting that the gas pumping amount be inceased from 125,000
million cubic metres up to 200,000 million cu. m. We know what must be
done for that. Political and economic interest in that is obvious," the
presidential candidate added.
Yanukovich pointed out that over the past five years, "Nothing in
thegas sector has changed for the better".

.Putin to chair meeting on customs regulation Tuesday.

MOSCOW, February 2 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is to
chair a meeting on customs regulation-related matters here on Tuesday.
The government press service reported that during the meeting, which
is to involve Cabinet members, the heads of relevant ministries and
agencies, it is planned to discuss a wide range of matters of current
importance concerning customs regulation, including the general state of
and prospects for versatile cooperation in the light of the formation of a
new integrational association -- a Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and
Kazakhstan.
The Union State of Russia and Belarus is the highest form of economic
integration achieved in the space of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) as of now, a press service official pointed out. Within the
ten years of its existence, the Union State has become a credible
full-fledged regional association that ensured a qualitatively new level
of the development of trade-and-economic relations.
The Union State practises a free movement of commodities and the
rendering of services. Russia holds a steady firstplace among the foreign
economic partners of Belarus, with bilateral trade running at over $21,000
million as a result of the first eleven months of 2009.
Interaction in the energy sector and the transportation ofenergy
resources holds a considerable place in Russia-Belarus trade-and-economic
relations.
Wide prospects for deepening integrational cooperation in the CIS
space open up in view of the establishment of the Customs Union of Russia,
Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
A common customs tariff and a non-tariff regulation system have been
in effect in the three countries since January1, 2010, and a common
Customs Code will take effect in July, the government press service
official recalled. This, in its turn, will require a considerable rise in
the level of coordination of the customs agencies of the three counrtries,
and efficient efforts to ensure an integrated trading regime on the outer
borders of the integrational association.
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