Tuesday, April 24, 2007. Page 11.
There is something very disturbing about the last-minute mass pullout of Russian business leaders from London’s Russian Economic Forum, which started Monday.
Some called the organizers, complaining of late diary changes. Others did not bother with excuses — it was obvious that behind the boycott lay the dread hand of the Kremlin.
Officials have long been unhappy with London hosting the premier annual Russian economic conference and have steadily cut ministerial representation. But businesspeople were free to come until last week, when the top names suddenly cancelled.