ECONOMICS
3. ELITE OPINION ON FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
SOURCE. Department of State Office of Research. Opinion Analysis M-56-02, June 21, 2002. Prepared by Regina Faranda (tel. 202-619-5129; rfaranda@pd.state.gov)
In April 2002, ROMIR interviewed 981 Russian leaders in the spheres of politics, business, government, media, science, culture, and the military. The questions pertained mainly to the economic situation, and especially to foreign economic relations.
75 percent of respondents say that Putin is doing a good job as president, and 56 percent are confident that he will successfully address the country's worst problems. A majority of all elite groups except the military agree that "Russia is going in the right direction" (from 54 percent of politicians up to 79 percent of media leaders).
74 percent of respondents say they have little or no confidence in the IMF, a finding consistent with other indications that Russian elites wish to overcome dependence on Western aid and loans. 79 percent think that the Russian economy is too dependent on oil, but only 31 percent are willing to cooperate with OPEC in controlling the volume of oil exports. Eventual Russian membership in the WTO is supported by 53 percent and opposed by 24 percent.
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