Faced with the perceived corruption and underhand dealing of its legions of bureaucrats, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Russian Government has found it difficult to attract the level of foreign investment required to spark the renewal and regeneration of its failing economy.

Unfortunately the high risk of doing business in Russia – which includes perceived anarchy within the bureaucracy, poor infrastructure and the lack of a clear legal framework – has resulted in only limited investment by foreign companies. That needs to change if Russia is ever to reach a situation where it has the technology and capital necessary to tap into the wealth of natural resources available.