By DANIEL RIORDAN
Russia's economic performance has been grossly oversimplified, as has New Zealand's, says a chief architect of Russia's free-market reforms.
Yegor Gaidar, visiting New Zealand as a guest of the Business Roundtable, says he has followed economic developments in New Zealand for the past 16 years, but disavows any expert tag.
Dr Gaidar, once Acting Prime Minister under Boris Yeltsin and still a member of the Duma, or lower house of parliament, has had a standing invitation from the Roundtable for two years but only now has the time to visit.
He says the general picture of Russia portrayed in the media is oversimplified.
"Good news is not news."
The "enormously complicated" changes in Russia over the past 10 years - most of them for the better - have not been reported fairly, he says.
The bad news - rampant crime, corruption and the war in Chechnya - is true but its overemphasis in Western media distorts the reality of life in Russia today.
Dr Gaidar concedes that under the Soviet regime the United States was known for the Mafia, corruption, industrial problems and the suppression of unions who fought for "the people."
So Western media coverage was tit-for-tat.
He is "genuinely optimistic" about Russia's prospects, while being fully aware of the potential obstacles to progress under the new Government led by Vladimir Putin.
Dr Gaidar's perceptions of New Zealand?
"The universal perception of New Zealand in the world, by the qualified, intelligent, well-informed community, is extremely oversimplified if you compare it with the reality of New Zealand."
He says Americans and Europeans talk about how after 16 years of radical reforms, New Zealanders are confronting serious economic problems, including a currency crisis, and have to consider other options.
But that perception is a long way from the complex economic reality.
Dr Gaidar declines to comment on the present relationship between the Business Roundtable and the Government.
"I'm aware of it, but only so far as a Russian economist who is visiting New Zealand for the first time in his life could be aware of it."
Last night, Dr Gaidar delivered the annual Roundtable-sponsored Sir Ronald Trotter Lecture in Auckland, and today he will address a function in Wellington hosted by Commerce Minister Paul Swain.
He also plans to catch up with old acquaintance Sir Roger Douglas.
Russia, NZ suffer from bad press: reformer
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