Russia Asks Schwarzenegger to Help in a Tough Task

Perhaps frustrated by what at times can seem like his own one-man effort to bring his unwieldy country into the 21st century, President Dmitri A. Medvedev turned to a seasoned fighter of government bureaucracy and other dark forces.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, terminator, governor and now, it seems, innovator, was in Skolkovo, a near suburb of Moscow, with a delegation of entrepreneurial heavyweights from Silicon Valley, vowing to do what he could to help pump up President Medvedev's efforts to modernize Russia. President Medvedev, an avid blogger, who sent Gov Schwarzenegger (R-CA) greetings via Twitter when he arrived in Moscow, has spoken often about the need to fight corruption, lessen government interference in business and allow greater political competition. This, he has said, will help improve Russia's business climate, though the project has been long on eloquent speeches and rather short on action, so far. Gov Schwarzenegger, joined by executives from Google and other technology companies, called Russia a "gold mine" for foreign investors and praised the Russian president as "a great visionary" and an "action president," who is on the road to transforming his country -- an effort that, of course, might profit from a little American know-how.