Russia and the United States are not fully using the potential of their trade, financial, and investment relations, but there are ways to improve the situation. This potential is “far from exhausted,” said Farit Mukhametshin, head of the Russian Federal Agency for the C.I.S., Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation at the opening ceremony of the forum Russian and U.S. Youth: Potential of Innovative Cooperation.

This year, foreign trade between Russia and the United States has reached $23.5bn, he said. The U.S. share in Russia’s foreign trade was 3.8%, while Russia’s share on the American market was 1%.

In the past year, Russia was ranked 25th among America’s trade partners, while investments from the U.S. hardly exceeded 1% of total foreign investment in Russia.