Dick Lugar: “I wish to congratulate Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez on his recent trip to Moscow, Russia. The Secretary…”

“I wish to congratulate Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez on his recent trip to Moscow, Russia. The Secretary delivered an important message to the Russian Government and Russian people: ``While political issues between our nations tend to garner the most headlines, economic interests should not be ignored. U.S.-Russia commercial ties are stronger and more dynamic than ever before, providing stability to our overall relationship.'' I couldn't agree more with this assessment. The United States and Russia business relationship is expanding significantly. Last year, U.S. exports to Russia increased by 20 percent to $4.7 billion in a broad range of merchandise and service markets. The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia recently conducted a survey of American business in Russia. They made some interesting findings: Half of the American companies surveyed report sales increases of 200 percent in Russia from 2001 to 2005. Ninety-seven percent of U.S. companies in Russia project continued growth in sales during the next three years. Ninety-two percent of U.S. companies in Russia believe that continued commercial engagement with Russia is positive for American business, and 86 percent believe that Russia's membership in the WTO will bring new opportunities for them. Profitability of two-thirds of American companies in Russia is on or above target.”