27 January 2014
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has been appointed by the Prime Minister to be his trade envoy to Russia. Harriett was offered the post following her activities to build links between the UK and the Russian Federation over the last three years. She has already led a successful trade mission to Bryansk in Russia and helped lift a ban which will allow British farmers to sell their meat products to Russia for the first time since 1992. Harriett has also hosted visits by regional governors and last month welcomed Russian Federation Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev to Parliament. Harriett, who speaks Russian and studied Russian literature at university, also chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Russia. The Prime Minister made the announcement during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Harriett commented: “I am enormously honoured to be asked by the Prime Minister to take on this key role helping our country’s exports to Russia to create jobs and growth here. “Russia is the UK’s fastest growing export market. I have seen this in my own constituency when I brought Russian visitors to Morgan Motors. “I will lead a trip to Russia in the Spring to meet with fellow Parliamentarians and I am particularly keen to hear from small and medium sized businesses who are keen to go into the Russian market for the first time.”