US Under Secretary for International Trade Suggests Trajectory for Russian Commercial Relations and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Headed in the "Right Direction"

In an interview during a recent visit to Moscow, U.S. Under Secretary for International Trade, Francisco Sanchez, told Interfax that he thought the trajectory of U.S.-Russian commercial relations was headed in the right direction:  "Exports from the United States to Russia have increased 40% since 2009.  Exports from Russia to the United States have increased nearly 30% during the same time period. The numbers are moving in the rights direction. With Russian accession to the WTO, I think those number will increase."  On the issue of intellectual property rights, Sanchez cautioned that although Russia has strengthened many of its laws in this area,  "[the US] and our companies remain concerned in terms of enforcement and application of the IP laws, particularly in internet piracy for example."  He suggested that enforcement of IP rights would also become a concern for Russian companies as they continue to invest in innovation and seek to diversify, and he promised that the US would work with Russian officials and companies on enforcement and other intellectual property issues.

http://www.interfax.com/interview.asp?id=337755