Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on the country’s big companies to invest in the economy, promising that what they are doing now will “pay off threefold” in the future, despite Western sanctions.
“Today’s timely investments will be paid back to you tomorrow without any doubt,” Putin assured. at a meeting in Moscow with members of the Union of Russian Entrepreneurs.
The head of the Kremlin specified that the sectors in which to invest more are manufacturing, domestic tourism or local brands.
According to Putin, despite Western sanctions imposed after the invasion and ensuing war in Ukraine, there are “great opportunities” in the country in virtually “every field of activity” and for all businesses.
“Today, great opportunities are emerging in Russia in almost all areas of activity and business,” he said.
However, the Russian president admitted that there are a number of issues “related to logistics, finance, infrastructure and technology” that have yet to be resolved.
This is Putin’s first meeting with the Businessmen’s Union since the beginning of the military intervention in Ukraine, with nearly a thousand delegates gathered at the Casa da Música, including millionaires, representatives of small and medium-sized businesses and officials from various ministries.
Putin admitted that the Western sanctions may have a negative impact on the Russian economy
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov called for the relaxation of restrictions on foreign investors who decided to bet on Russia after the outbreak of war and the imposition of Western sanctions.
“These people came to know what awaits them because of the conditions created by hostile countries,” he defended.
This week, Putin admitted that there is a danger of registering a negative impact on the national economy in the medium term due to Western sanctions.
“Yes, we must recognize that those who want us to harm expect to cause us problems in the medium term. That danger does indeed exist. We are aware of that,” he acknowledged.
Putin again spoke in the same vein today before the business meeting in Moscow, insisting that the government fully understands that there are medium-term risks that “must be taken into account”.
However, the Russian president was also convinced that Russia will be able to overcome all these risks.
“Russian economy is taking on a completely different quality and is starting to develop according to a different model,” he stressed, referring to the country’s change of focus on the so-called friendly states, mainly in the east.
Source: DN
