ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russia's President Vladimir Putin has appointed a presidential ombudsman vested with special powers to defend the rights of company owners and directors in an attempt by the Kremlin to attract foreign investment.
Putin made the announcement at a major economic forum in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
The
new ombudsman, Boris Titov, will have special powers to represent
owners and directors in courts and suspend official rulings which could
be viewed as hampering their rights. Titov had previously served as a
chairman of well-respected business community’s group Delovaya Rossiya.
Russian
authorities have admitted that a poor investment climate is spooking
investors away from the country and hope Titov’s appointment should help
improve its profile and reputation.
