Zee Beam News

MOSCOW, June 1 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Malosolov) - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez is impressed by how fast Russia has transitioned to the free market and entrepreneurship, he told Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov at their meeting here Wednesday. Gutierrez said that it took the United States 200 years to perfect its free market economy, while Russia managed to transition within just a few years. He called Russia's progress "considerable" during the last 20 years and said that even the U.S. administration has faith in Russia's future. Gutierrez said he believed that Russia's economy was one of the most promising in the world. He also spoke highly of several Russian ministers with whom he met while here. He specifically mentioned Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref. Gutierrez is here for talks on the accords signed by Russia and the United States during the Bratislava summit in February. The main focus of the talks is trade and energy.