In April 2004 IFC Metropol opened its office in Japan. Japanese businessmen are becoming increasingly interested in Russian economy and there is a need to boost relations between the two countries.

"Japanese businessmen seek the strengthening of the relationship between our countries which can bemade possible through the policy implemented by Russian President Vladimir Putin. They are ready to cooperate with Russian businessmen,” IFC Metropol General Director Mikhail Slipenchuk said. “They are aware of investment opportunities on the Russian market, and they actively follow economic developments in Russia.”

Japanese businessmen are rather conservative about new investment projects, particularly those that are implemented outside Japan. They need a trustworthy partner. This primarily explains why negotiations were so lengthy and why many companies failed to build close cooperation with Japanese businessmen. This view is shared by other market participants who note that Japanese businessmen are rather cautious. Vedomosti newspaper published an article about the new office on May 26, 2004. IFC Metropol is very proud of this achievement and pins hopes on the Japanese office.

”The most important thing is to win business reputation and respect,” Mikhail Slipenchuk believes. “This takes time; and those who are honored to work with the Japanese must be very careful about every aspect of cooperation.”

This is a next step to develop international cooperation after Metropol (UK), a London Stock Exchange member, started its operations in London. The Tokyo office sees assistance in building relationship between major Japanese and Russian industrial groups, consultancy and follow-up services as its primary tasks. Another important business sphere is to promote the Russian stock market and investment opportunities among investors in the Asia-Pacific Region.

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