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HEARINGS ON RECOGNISING RUSSIA'S MARKET-ECONOMY STATUS BEGIN IN UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON D.C., MARCH 27, RIA NOVOSTI - The presidential administration, government and parliament of Russia are very much open for dialogue with foreign investors, Andrew Summers, president of the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce, said at hearings at the US Department of Trade. Consideration of the matter of recognising Russia as a free market economy has begun here.

Summers stressed that the Russian authorities' approach to international business circles confirms Russia's adherence to the market economy idea.

Summers said experience of 650 American Chamber member companies, which have worked in Russia, confirms that the Russian economy operates according to free market principles, which is the earnest of success of many foreign investors in Russia.

In the opinion of Blake Marshall, Vice-President of the American-Russian Business Council, the objections which sound in the United States against recognising the Russian economy as a free market do not reflect reality. Time has come to officially recognise what is obvious to many -- Russia is no longer a country with a centralised economy, stressed Marshall. He invited the American government to fix the market status of the Russian economy.

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