Evans: “The Future of the U.S.-Russia Relationship Rests in Boardrooms and on Factory Floors, Not in the Halls of Government”
Announces Mission to Russia to Explore Opportunities in Energy Sector

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans announced today he will lead a mission of major U.S. energy companies to Russia next year to focus exclusively on developing new partnerships between U.S. and Russian energy companies.

“Through their policies and their leadership, President Bush and President Putin have created an environment where our economies can grow, but ultimately it’s up to our workers, ranchers, farmers and businesses to make it happen,” Evans said at the conclusion of the first U.S.-Russia Commercial Energy Summit here. “This Summit, as will future gatherings between our private sectors, recognizes that the future of our partnership lies in boardrooms and on factory floors, not within the halls of government. That’s what makes meetings like this so significant, and why I am so optimistic about the U.S.-Russia partnership.”

The two-day Commercial Energy Summit in Houston joined more than 70 companies with Evans, U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Russian Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Gref and Minister of Energy Igor Yusufov to discuss expanding partnerships and new opportunities for investments between the oil and gas industries of both countries.

“Economic growth and stability around the world depend on reliable, affordable sources of energy. It is essential for the United States and Russia to continue to explore new opportunities for our private sectors, as well as to take the steps nessesary to ensure the long-term economic security of both our nations and the global economy.”