executives regularly name the weak rule of law, highlevel of red tape, and corruption as key obstacles for doingbusiness in Russia, and are likely to raise these issues whenthey meet both presidents on Tuesday at a parallel businesssummit [ID:nL2424663] U.S. "If we have success on the geopolitical side of the summitwe are going to see much more investments by U.S. companies,"Andrew Somers, president of the American Chamber of Commerce inRussia, told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "We hope that President Medvedev will be able to followthrough on his continuous campaign to improve the rule of law.

The Kremlin said Russian oil major LUKOIL (LKOH.MM) wantedto invest in a new refinery on the eastern U.S coast withConocoPhillips [ID:nL6292037]. softdrink company PepsiCo (PEP.N) and aircraft maker Boeing (BA.N). [ID:nL6414230] The summit between Obama and Russia's president, DmitryMedvedev, will focus on talks about cutting nuclear weaponsstores, the supply of weapons to NATO forces in Afghanistan, andon creating a joint commission to improve trade relations.[ID:nL6567315] A breakthrough at these talks would serve as evidence bothsides want to "press the reset button" -- to use the U.S.government's phrase -- on U.S.-Russia relations and help boostbilateral trade, which stood at $36 billion last year Joining Deere's new investments in Russia are U.S. "I believe in the long run that is what the (Russian)government will try to do but at this point in time thingsaren't as stable as we would like to see It makes us hesitantat times," he said on Monday. farm machinery maker Deere & Co.(DE.N), told reporters while announcing an investment of $500million into Russia within the next five to seven years.

"We need the confidence that things are going to remainstable, that the ground rules are going to remain stable,"Samuel Allen, chairman of U.S. President Barack Obama'svisit to Russia has seen over $1.5 billion of company dealsunveiled, but a longer term step-change in business between thenations will depend on Moscow boosting the rule of law. executives press Russia on the rule of law * Kremlin says LUKOIL to invest in new U.S. refinery * U.S.-Russia talks to focus on cutting nuclear arms stores(Adds LUKOIL) By Simon Shuster and Dmitry Zhdannikov MOSCOW, July 6 (Reuters) - U.S. * John Deere, PepsiCo, Boeing unveil Russian deals Stocks  |  Mergers & Acquisitions  |  Russia * U.S. There cannot be a final agreement on START without a resolution of the missile defense issue," a senior Russian official told Reuters on condition his name was not used."Think of a man with a sword and a shield against a man with just a sword -- what does the second do? Get a longer sword, which amounts to an arms race which Russia does not want."Obama has rejected a link between arms control and missile defense, saying that Washington's plans do not threaten Russia.(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Richard Balmforth) World Barack Obama Russia. anti-missile system is closely linked to START negotiations and Moscow wants a resolution on missile defense before agreeing to a concrete deal on a replacement for START."The questions of missile defense and START are completely interlinked to the very core.