One of the key issues in the work of Russia’s international humanitarian cooperation agency Rossotrudnichestvo should be the improvement of the country’s image, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
“Just one more thing I suggest to think over is Russia’s image. We should assess the situation and find out where we have problems,” Medvedev said at a meeting with senior officials of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation, Rossotrudnichestvo.
He added that this issue had a practical value. “We have many examples when projects with the participation of Russia, the major one was Nord Stream [gas pipeline], were slow because the public from one country or another warily perceived these projects,” Medvedev said.
Medvedev added that Russia has high investment potential which has not been realized as it should be. “The inflow of foreign investment does not correspond to this potential and the reasons for underinvestment are associated with the loss of its image and reputation and these problems should not be simplified, they exist, and we should admit that parts of the problems are in us.”
The prime minister added that we should raise competitiveness in the education market. “We should set a goal that at least five Russian universities be in the top one hundred of the world’s leading universities by 2020.”
In his speech, Medvedev said that Russia should attract qualified specialist to Russia from abroad.