ST. PETERSBURG, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian businessmen could work more proactively in the U.S., President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.
"In the next three to four years, we can go to a higher level, we have all the preconditions for this," Putin said at the meeting with U.S. businessmen.
According to Putin, the bilateral trade turnover grew by over 30% in 2004.
"Direct Russian investments in the U.S. keep growing, as well. Their amount is not so impressive as that of U.S. investments in some countries but it already exceeds $1 billion," the president said.
Lukoil, Norilsk Nickel, Severstal and the AFK Sistema hi-tech company are among these investors, he added.
The U.S. side hails this cooperation which creates new jobs, Putin said.
"It leads to our economic integration which is a positive factor," he added.
