We are going to hear a lot more about the BRIC countries over the coming months. As the Eurozone teeters on the brink of insolvency it is going to become more and more important for European companies to export, and to focus on these growing markets. For much success here will be the difference between the life and death of their business.
If this is the case why is that most British companies chasing export opportunities are all heading to China and India? They are obviously massive and growing markets, and offer some great opportunities, but they are the other side of the world, and have all the problems associated with working at that distance. One of the BRIC’s, namely Russia is on our own continent (or part of it is). Surely it would make more sense to focus there?
When I talk to British business I think the time has come for British companies to try and engage with the developing Russian economy, if we don’t we could be losing a golden opportunity to develop our economy, but perhaps more importantly develop and strengthen the relationship between our two nations, and relationship that will become increasingly important to the UK over the next decade people about this the grumble darkly about corruption in Russia (undoubtedly a problem) but seem to disregard this as an issue when talking about China , India and Brazil (where it is also rife). I am wondering if it could be a throwback to the cold war, when most of Britain’s current business leaders were being brought up Russia was the enemy, we pointed missiles at each other. Those days are over now, and though Russia undoubtedly has its problems, and there are things about the country’s political elite which trouble us, they surely must be the BRIC market we should be closest too?