Russia

Massive, diverse, iconoclastic, deeply troubled and unique in every way, Russia is an exciting, challenging and intriguing country to visit.

As the USSR, it posed serious threats to freedom & democracy, yet now the country struggles to combine its political heritage and national identity with these very same principles. Russia’s political relationship with its former adversaries remains cool, though its business community is composed of many major US, UK, German and French companies, ranging from McDonald’s to Gillette.

Despite a poor reputation for encouraging business confidence, a terribly inefficient bureaucracy, extraordinarily high costs for doing business and an unpredictable political environment, Russia’s business community continues to boom, fuelled by Russia’s burgeoning middle class and strong entrepreneurial sector.

With the European Union expanding right up to Russia’s borders, WTO application pending, and a strong government in power, Russia’s future path, though surely not an easy one, will certainly be a fascinating one.