[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 30 (Monday, July 30, 2001)]
[Pages 1086-1087]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Vladimir 
Vladimirovich Putin

July 22, 2001

    In keeping with the spirit of our Ljubljana discussions, we welcome 
the initiative of the American and Russian business communities to 
provide new impetus to our bilateral trade and investment relations 
through the creation of the ``Russian American Business Dialogue.''
    We expect the Dialogue to perform three key functions: expand 
contact between our two business communities; identify areas where laws, 
regulations and practices impede trade and investment; and provide a 
forum where business interests could be raised with our respective 
governments. We seek to promote economic reform, a transparent and 
predictable investment climate and rule of law, and to work towards the 
Russian Federation's early accession to the WTO.
    The Dialogue will be open to interested American and Russian 
companies and business associations. We hope thereby to encourage 
participation by large, medium, and especially small enterprises from a 
broad cross-section of industry sectors, including, in particular, 
technology businesses. We welcome the offer of the American Chamber of 
Commerce in Russia, the U.S.-Russia Business Council, the Russian Union 
of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and the Russian-American Business 
Council to steer this effort.
    We embrace the offer of the Dialogue organizers to prepare formal 
reports of the Dialogue for use by the governments of the Russian 
Federation and the United States. We affirm our commitment to send 
cabinet level representatives to receive the first formal report of the 
Dialogue at a meeting of the Dialogue early next year.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.

[[Page 1087]]