Alexey Mordashov, general director of the Seversal-group, spoke to Mr. Putin of the Russian companies' activities in foreign markets. He also informed Mr. Putin of Severstal's efforts to maintain its presence in the world steel markets. Parties discussed mechanisms of creating non-discriminatory access for the Russian steel to the markets of the US, the European Union and other countries. Additionally, A. Mordashov explained his vision of the situation in the mining industry and its development potential. In Mr. Mordashov's opinion, debts of mining companies accumulated from the time they were owned by the state must be restructured.
   V. Putin And A. Mordashov also discussed conditions and issues of creating a favorable investment climate in the Russian Federation. According to A. Mordashov, without a legal reform it's impossible to create such investment climate in Russia. In particular, parties discussed the necessity to increase the role of panels of judges, which check the level of professional skills. "They must in practice provide the high level of professional skills in the court system and prevent biased judicial trials", - said Mordashov.