"Our entrepreneurs have simply ignored this forum though information about it was available in time," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov said in an interview to the Vremya Novostei newspaper.
This forum was convened for Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) member-states to discuss business opportunities, to establish contacts and to sign contracts, noted Denisov. But Russia was represented at the forum solely by foreign ministry officials who did their best to maintain interest in our country but specific economic issues were beyond their competence.
Meanwhile, Ukraine was represented at a top level-its delegation was headed by the minister for economics and European integration, a member of the governors board of the Black Sea Bank for Trade and Development (BSBTD).
Denisov wished the clients of this bank working intensely with BSEC small and medium business could have in their ranks more entrepreneurs from Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov Region and other Black Sea area of Russia.
He noted that the BSBTD has been increasing the volume of loans and "though being yet inferior to the World Bank or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, can be very helpful in the implementation of regional projects, including in the south of Russia."
The Russian diplomat made a point of the BSEC participants: Greece as a European Union country, Rumania and Bulgaria as candidates to the European Union, and Trukey. There were also three trans-Caucasian CIS nations: Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia-"very interesting economic partners with their own peculiarities", Ukraine and Russia with their huge economic potential and Moldova. Among BSEC newcomers is Serbia and Montenegro.
