The Association of European Businesses, the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK), the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie) and the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce (SVKK) are very concerned about the situation around Baring Vostok Capital Partners investment fund and the arrest of its top-management.

Baring Vostok is one of the major western private equity investors operating in Russia for more than 20 years, which has created for itself the reputation of an honest and trustful partner. The detention of Baring Vostok top-management has sent shockwaves through the country’s business community, and can potentially seriously damage the investment climate and attractiveness of Russia for foreign direct investments. 

The AEB and the national Chambers of Commerce trust that the Russian law enforcement authorities will conduct an honest and fair investigation in compliance with the rule of law and that the principle of the assumption of innocence unless proven otherwise will be applied. 

The AEB, the AHK, the CCI France Russie and the SVKK believe that commercial disputes should to a maximum possible extend be resolved through civil law means like arbitration, and that the immediate application of such criminal law procedures like detention should be avoided.