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Head of Rusnano: plans to join Davos Forum depend on Russian delegation's decision

Earlier, the Russian Prime Minister said that Russia will withdraw from participation in the World Economic Forum if restrictions for Russian businessmen on attendance are not lifted

MOSCOW, November 13 / TASS. The decision to take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos will depend on whether representatives of Russian companies take part in the event, head of Rusnano Anatoly Chubais told TASS on Tuesday.

Financial Times reported earlier citing its sources that Deripaska, head of Renova Group Viktor Vekselberg and VTB Chief Andrei Kostin will not be invited to the Forum in connection with concerns of international organizations due to US sanctions imposed on Russian businessmen this April. No legal grounds are in place to prevent arrival of businessmen at the Forum, it said.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that Russia will withdraw from participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos if restrictions for Russian businessmen on attendance at this event are not lifted.

"If these restrictions made in respect of representatives of the Russian business [concerning their participation in the Davos Forum] are not changed, we will have then to make a decision on withdrawal of government officials and Russian state-run companies from participation in the Davos Forum. Then nobody will go there," Medvedev said.

"Decisions [on restrictions for Russian businessmen] are very strange, to say the least," Medvedev noted. "I have just talked on this topic with President of the Swiss Confederation [Alain Berset] and said this is surprising for us, especially that a nongovernmental organization is the case in point," the Prime Minister said. "He [the President of Switzerland] said he would inquire," Medvedev noted.

"Let us wait and see," he added.

The World Economic Forum annually organizes a meeting in the mountain resort of Davos (Switzerland), bringing together political and business elite. The next meeting is scheduled to January 22 - 25, 2019.