Can Italy become a model for Russia? According to a group of experts who recently met in Moscow, yes. The removal of obstacles currently inhibiting the development and operation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Russia has been highlighted as pivotal for economic recovery.

Considering that small businesses played a crucial role in the 1960s to transform Italy from a rural nation into an industrial powerhouse, and that small businesses are just as important for Russia as they have been for Italy, if Moscow wants to relaunch economic growth it needs to build a good structure, entrepreneur culture and favorable conditions allowing them to survive and prosper. That is to say reducing bureaucracy, corruption risks and excessive red tape, and realizing that small business can be much more successful and reliable than big corporations, as the Italian case shows.

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