Too early to name conditions for foreign IT companies returning to Russian market - minister

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - The Russian Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Ministry does not see foreign vendors undertaking steps to return to the Russian market, and it is too early to lay out terms for this process, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said.

"We are hearing lots of people express fears about foreign companies returning. To be honest, we as a regulator and a ministry don't see large foreign vendors making moves in this direction at all. Maybe it should be that way - the market should be telling us," Shadayev said at the annual meeting of the Otechestvenny Soft Russian software association.

He said that there were differing opinions on the issue.

"We are periodically called upon to designate conditions for companies returning. We say that, listen, as soon as we designate conditions for returning, we are de facto legalizing that return. The longer we leave [this issue] in a gray area, the fewer risks we face," Shadayev said.

The minister said that companies without Russian supervision will not be able to be granted accreditation and, correspondingly, apply for employees to receive deferment from military service and other support measures. "In that sense, this political decision has [already] been taken. I don't as yet see any grounds for changing it," he said.