UPDATE: Kremlin welcomes Davos changing position on Russian businessmen

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MOSCOW/GENEVA, Dec 17 (PRIME) -- The Kremlin welcomes the fact that the organizers of the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos have accepted Moscow’s position on inadmissibility of selective treatment toward Russian businessmen, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

“We welcome the fact that the Davos economic forum and its leaders accepted our position regarding the inadmissibility of selective treatment towards our entrepreneurs,” Peskov said.

He also said that Russian entrepreneurs will easily compensate for contacts with U.S. businessmen at the Davos forum by meeting with representatives of other countries.

A government source told PRIME on December 15 that the official delegation of the Russian government will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2019, since the restrictions imposed on Russian businessmen by the event’s organizers have been lifted.

Alois Zwinggi, the managing director of the Davos forum, said that the forum’s organizers welcome the Russian delegation’s participation in the 2019 forum and will take all necessary measures to ensure that Russian citizens who have fallen under sanctions and are included in the delegation will be staying in the country legally.

On December 6, the Roscongress Foundation cancelled organization of the Russia House at the World Economic Forum 2019 as some Russian businessmen were prohibited to participate in the forum.

Previously, the Financial Times reported that tycoons Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg as well as VTB Bank’s CEO Andrei Kostin were barred from participating in the forum. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in late November that Russia would not go to the forum if the restrictions are not lifted, while President Vladimir Putin said later that Russian businessmen may go to Davos on their own.

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