- Mr. Sofinskiy, when did the Consulate of the Russian Federation in Houston begin its operation? Why did the Russian government decide to open a consulate in the city of Houston?

- Official ceremonies dedicated to the consulate’s start of operations were held on September 11, 2004. We began to function in full capacity in August 2004, issuing visas, affidavits, passports, and so on… Why Houston? – The concept of a Russian consulate consists of three elements: first of all, taking care of the socio-economic issues (the passports and the visas); second, working with the Russian population; third, assisting in business development and cultural exchanges. On the basis of these three criteria, Russia chose to have a consulate in Houston. The single possible rival was Chicago. If Chicago had oil, there might have been some real competition.

- Mr. Sofinskiy, tell a little about yourself. Where did you work prior to assuming the position of a Consul General?

- The biography of a former Soviet laborer is always quite simple: school, university, work… Everything falls into these three categories.

- What school and what university?

- I attended the Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in Moscow. I went on to get a graduate degree from there. I then taught Political Science for ten years, until being invited to work for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I started with a UN task force; then I was a speechwriter for the foreign minister. Later, I worked with Western Europe: I was at the Embassy in Madrid for 5 years. After that, I pursued US-Russia diplomatic efforts. Now, I have been appointed Consul General for the Houston Consulate. Although I closely worked with the United States throughout my whole life, this is my first long-term work here. At the university, I specialized in the US. I  traveled to America when I dealt with the UN. This is the first time for me to  come to  America to spend several years here.        

- Do you recall your first visit to the US? Were your stereotypes about America changed?

- I remember the trip well. It happened in 1988. While I was in the US, my daughter was born. My wife still remembers how I “escaped” from her to America at that time. When our son was born, I was once again in the United States. During my third visit to America, my colleagues greeted me with questions like  “Are you expecting a baby in Moscow?”

My first impression of the US was: these people are us in about a hundred years. There is a great deal of similarity between the Americans and the Russians – external cleanliness and internal disarray. It all made me draw parallels. Overall, my first trip did not invalidate my stereotypes; on the contrary, it strengthened them. At that time I visited the rural Midwest in Iowa. Frankly, I was astonished by the distant-from-reality worldview of some people there. They thought we came from a forest and that polar bears walk the streets in Russia. Many Americans whom we met at that time saw Russians for the first time. They looked at us as if we were snowmen. These were the impressions from my first trip.

- How many people work at the Houston consulate?

- There are 6 diplomats and approximately the same number of administrative personnel.

- What kind of assistance could your consulate offer to US businesses that intend to work with Russia?

- Primarily, we offer consulting and information services. We could try to help find a partner in Russia, given that the US company provide us with a complete commercial proposal. We could forward the information to Moscow to the Chamber of Commerce, to appropriate government departments, as well as to the Regions… We can help in clarifying certain issues. For instance, if a Russian individual comes to the US, claims to be an official representative of some Russian organization, and asks an American company to get involved economically with that organization, the Americans can request us to ascertain that the individual has the required authority and status to conduct commercial projects.

- How much does the consulate charge for  these services?

- The services are provided free of charge.

- Mr. Sofinskiy, in your opinion, is Russia’s economic and political climate today favorable to Russian-American business cooperation?

- The climate is unquestionably better than it was 15 years ago. There are problems, but problems exist everywhere. Sure, there is some risk - maybe a greater risk than in other places - but there are also unique opportunities that do not exist anywhere else in the world. For example, Conoco-Philips that recently bought stocks of Russian Lukoil was able to buy barrels of oil at prices lower than the market prices. “He, who does not run a few risks, does not win.”