MOSCOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with U.S. big businessmen in St. Petersburg on Saturday. Heads of Alcoa, Intel, IBM, United Technologies, International Paper, ConocoPhillips and Citigroup will attend the meeting, a senior Kremlin official said.According to him, these companies intend to expand their activities in Russia.
For instance, Alcoa is to promote aluminum production at the Russian metallurgic plants which the company purchased recently.
Intel and IMB are interested in expanding software off-shoring and setting up research and technology centers in Russia, United Technologies - in developing rocket engine production and International Paper - in modernizing pulp and paper industry.
ConocoPhillips is set to launch joint projects with Russian oil giant Lukoil to produce LNG and supply it to the North American market.
Citigroup intends to discuss the completion of the talks on Russia's accession to the WTO as part of the strategy of proactive development of the Russian market of banking services. According to Citigroup's heads, the conditions of work on the Russian market via subsidiaries are highly comfortable and comply with the level of the Russian banking sector development.
Media and real estate moguls Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Speyer are to focus on publishing, advertising, building and mortgage loaning.
The Kremlin source said that the Russian leadership hoped for a sincere and profound discussion of the problems and prospects of U.S. companies' activity in Russia and measures to boost Russian-U.S. relations as a whole.
The meeting will focus on promoting diversification of the Russian economy, particularly, in the hi-tech sphere, and involving American businessmen in major joint projects in the energy, engineering, IT, banking, insurance, information and other fields, the source said.
According to him, President Putin will dwell on the measures the Russian leadership is taking to maintain high economic growth rates, key investment policy priorities and developments in the spheres foreign investors are concerned over, i.e. the judicial system, protection of property, taxation system modernization and infrastructure development.
