GENEVA (ILO News) - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), Juan Somavia, begins a five-day official visit to the Russian Federation on 15 July where he is expected to hold talks with high-level government, worker and employer representatives on a wide range of economic and social issues critical to one of the ILO's largest members.

The head of the ILO will discuss a number of issues relevant to the work of the Organization in Russia including job creation, poverty reduction, harmonizing labour standards, the growing child labour problem, a worsening HIV/AIDS epidemic and the social impact of both globalization and Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Talks are also expected to focus on employment and enterprise promotion, gender mainstreaming and the lack of social protection.

"The Russian Federation is at a crossroads in development", Mr. Somavia said before leaving Geneva. "Unless restructuring can be seriously addressed as part of a plan for entering the WTO the Russian economy could face a down turn due to overseas competition. The ILO is committed to working with our social partners in Russian in support of these vital reforms."

Among the officials Mr. Somavia is expected to meet are the Russian Deputy-Prime Minister, Mrs. Matvienko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ivanov, the Minister of Labour, Mr. Pochinok, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Mr. Gref and the Mayor of Moscow, Mr. Louzhkhov. He will also meet with representatives from the Co-ordinating Council of Employers, trade unions and the State Duma (the Russian Parliament).

As the former Soviet Union, Russia became a member of the ILO in 1934. The ILO already has a wide range of technical cooperation activities in the Russian Federation, including assistance in the preparation of new labour and employment legislation, socially responsible enterprise restructuring, the promotion of social and labour protection schemes, the strengthening of occupational safety and health, consolidating social dialogue as a permanent process and projects with street children.