MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) plans to hold a traditional informal closed-door meeting between major businessmen and Russian President Vladimir Putin in December, the RSPP head Alexander Shokhin said in an interview with TASS, adding that the meeting could be timed to coincide with an official session scheduled for December 17 to mark the 35th anniversary of the RSPP.
"On December 17, we will hold an official session at the State Kremlin Palace to mark the 35th anniversary of the RSPP. <…> It may well turn out that the two events coincide: first the formal event, followed by an informal meeting," said Shokhin, who is also Russian presidential commissioner for the protection of entrepreneurs' rights.
An informal pre-New Year meeting of the heads of the country’s largest companies takes place annually in the second half of December, he added.
"It should obviously be taken into account, though, that December is, so to speak, not the best time to raise new issues, with the budget just passed. It will be necessary to see how things unfold to determine which specific matters to focus on. That said, the business community will always find problems that need to be addressed - problems that not only require a solution but also demand a clear stance from the president. We have had many instances where we were able to move forward on certain issues solely thanks to the president’s stance," Shokhin explained.