The international rating agency Standard & Poor's passed a sentence to our country. Sovereign rating, which assesses the solvency of the Russian government as a borrower in foreign currency, remained at the previous low level of BBB-. Foreign analysts say that the rating will remain at a stable level in the foreseeable future. But this stability does not bode well for anything. The advantages of our economy include low public debt and significant reserves. In addition, the rise in oil prices in recent months has partially smoothed the impact of sanctions. Nevertheless, the Russian economy remains "structurally weak", depends on gas exports and oil (45% of total foreign exchange earnings) and is "substantially limited" in its development due to the "dominant role of the state, an unfavorable investment climate and an unfavorable regulatory environment," states in a press release of the rating agency. In the next four years (while the current sanctions regime continues), foreign business will be the tenth way to bypass our country, cutting investments in its real sector. We will not be able to attract modern technologies from abroad. This will create uncertainty for potential investors and force Moscow to extinguish foreign debt - it "eats" up to 60% of all foreign exchange earnings. Each year, Russia will lose direct foreign investment in the amount of 1-1.1% of GDP, or about $ 15 billion in monetary terms. Russian GDP per capita is on average half that of countries with a similar rating. The pace of economic growth will remain in the coming years half the world average, despite the promises of President Vladimir Putin. This year GDP will grow by only 1.6%, in 2019 - by 1.7%, in 2020-2021 - by 1.8%. At the same time, the ruble will continue to weaken. By the end of the year, the value of the dollar will reach 64 rubles, in 2019. it will be 66.8 rubles, in 2020 - 69 rubles. The S & P was warned that the US can tighten sanctions at any moment, and then the state of affairs in the Russian economy will worsen.

The reforms announced by the government are unlikely to yield a positive result, since all previous attempts were distinguished by "low effectiveness," the agency recalled.. "There is no need to wait for the weakening of the role of the state in the economy," analysts concluded, noting that it is ineffective state management and the raw material structure of the economy that serve as the main obstacles to raising the rating. Russian experts do not see anything terrible in awarding our country a low credit rating and even find in this positive.

"The agency gives positive comments on the possibility of raising the rating, this is a positive signal, and the reaction can be positive," RIA Novosti quoted the opinion of Yaroslav Lysovolik, chief economist at the Eurasian Development Bank. If the measures announced by the Ministry of Economic Development are announced "with respect to a significant increase in investment growth and improvement of the investment climate ... and we will see economic growth, I think this will be a key criterion for S & P and other rating agencies in revising the Russian rating," concluded the expert..