Oleg Dmitriyevich Davydov (; 25 May 1940 – 22 December 2006) was a Russian economist who formerly served in the Russian government of Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin as the minister and Deputy Chairman of Government responsible for foreign economic relations. In this position he led negotiations for Russia's first bid to join the World Trade Organization.
Career in government After being appointed Deputy Prime Minister for foreign trade in the fall of 1993, he began to liberalize Russia's export regulations in order to appeal to Western economic partners.Tsekhmistrenko, Sergei (2 February 1995). Long Road to Free Trade. The Moscow Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017. This was also part of an effort to eventually join the World Trade Organization.Russia makes move to join world trade body. UPI. Published 17 July 1995. Retrieved 8 September 2017. The first meeting with WTO officials took place in July 1995, with Davydov leading the Russian delegation, but the process to enter was postponed after the 1998 Russian financial crisis.WTO snuck up on me. The results of the first five-year plan of Russia to the world trade organization. Center for Strategic Assessments and Forecasts. Published 30 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
Davydov paid a visit to Tehran and praised increased Russian–Iranian cooperation in 1995.Parrish (1996), p. 228Suman Bandrapelli, Abraham T. McLaughl, and Peter Nordahl (29 December 1995). News in Brief. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 8 September 2017. In Europe he negotiated to reschedule Russia's debt payments to some six hundred banks.Nash, Nathaniel C. (17 November 1995). 600 Banks Agree to Reschedule Billions in Russian Debt. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017. In September of that year, at an economic forum in Beijing, Davydov stated that Russia's strategic goal is to increase cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries. In March 1996 he identified China as the country's main strategic partner in the region. Davydov stated: "Moscow's turn to the Asian Pacific region is dictated by its firm conviction that the center of global trade in the 21st century will move to this region, which already accounts for 40 percent of global turnover."Berger (1997), p. 120–121 Later, in December of the same year, he traveled to Singapore and met with then-Brigadier General Lee Hsien Loong, future Prime Minister of Singapore.DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER (DPM) OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION OLEG DAVYDOV CALLS ON DPM BRIGADIER-GENERAL LEE HSIEN LOONG AT TREASURY BUILDING. National Archives of Singapore. Published 12 December 1996. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
In 1997 Davydov also referred to India as an important strategic partner for Russia, stating that the country did not allow Ukraine a license to export parts of T-80 and other tanks, as the Russian government did not want Ukraine to sell it to India's traditional adversary Pakistan.India to buy more defence systems from Russia. Rediff. Published 1997. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
Death
He died on 22 December 2006.
Other work In 2000, he worked with Valery Oreshkin to publish a book titled Liberalization of Russian Foreign Trade: Problems and Prospects.Liberalization of Russian Foreign Trade: Problems and Prospects. Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
Sources References
Books