My initial hope was that this article would explore the trade and investment opportunities that exist between Russia and Australia. Whilst Russia is a competitor in terms its potential to displace Australian commodity exports to key East Asian markets, Australian companies are well-placed to do business in Russia, especially in the mineral and energy sectors. Russia's status as one of the world’s fastest growing consumer markets warrants greater attention by Australian exporters and investors. I think the bureaucrats in DFAT and Austrade need a wake-up call. Canberra's narrow-minded obsession with serving as China's quarry has meant that the expansion of trade with other emerging markets like Russia has been largely neglected. For a country that is such an ardent supporter of globalisation, our failure to become a truly global exporter represents a glaring policy failure.