The First Deputy Prime Minister said that the Russian economy would become more open and cooperation with other countries would develop on a mutually beneficial basis.
Mr Shuvalov said that Russia "has never been interested in curtailing international cooperation". "We have never shut ourselves out of the international economy; on the contrary, we are increasingly becoming its inseparable and important part," the First Deputy Prime Minister stressed, noting that "global competition can make the national economy more effective". "Our policy must be one of self-reliance, but we should seek to establish dialogue with foreign partners," Mr Shuvalov said.
In his speech Mr Shuvalov also touched upon the question of quotas for skilled foreign labour. In his opinion, "we should consider the practicability of keeping in place quotas for highly skilled migrants in Siberia and the Far East." In his opinion, quotas on such migrants may be lifted because Russia "needs people with high skills and a high level of education".
Mr Shuvalov noted that the need for such specialists would be particularly acute in the Eastern Siberian and Trans-Baikal regions. He stressed that the eastern part of Russia must develop at a faster rate than the rest of Russia.
In the opinion of the First Deputy Prime Minister comfortable living conditions had to be created for people. "Comfortable conditions and not the notorious northern hardship pay should be the instruments to attract people to the region," Mr Shuvalov said. "Our urban development plans must proceed from that principle. We need a new concept of urban development and a new settlement policy," he said. Mr Shuvalov said that "the policy should be based on ‘the right people at the right place' principle". We should target concrete cities, economic sectors and areas of activity," the First Deputy Prime Minister said.
At a briefing on the fringes of the economic forum Mr Shuvalov mentioned the WTO topic. He described as unsuccessful the attempts to bundle together economic and political issues during the negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO. In Mr Shuvalov's opinion, "during the course of the negotiating process Russia proceeds on the basis that the WTO is not a political organisation, but an organisation that deals with trade relations whose participants can improve their economic results."
The First Deputy Prime Minister pledged that "Russia would continue negotiations within the working group, our experts are working." "We will cover our part of the way," Mr Shuvalov added.