To fulfill the idea of import substitution is for Russia like "winning the war", Neue Zürcher Zeitung wrote.
This is especially true when one takes into account Western sanctions and political instability in Europe, the newspaper argued.
By 2020, 18 branches of Russian industry are expected to become less dependent on imports. However, the author doubts that Russia will be able to achieve the goal in the short term due to a lack of qualified specialists, lagging in production and insufficient investments.
German entrepreneurs were also present at the exhibition despite the fact the Federal Ministry of Economics denied support for their participation in the event this year. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis and the EU sanctions, German companies have also experienced difficulties in receiving official export approvals.
Many of Russian companies are conglomerates working for the military and the civilian sector at the same time. The export of machinery, which could be theoretically used for military purposes, does not have much chance to get the official approval of German authorities, Neue Zürcher Zeitung wrote.