“Russia has made some progress and has improved its standing in this rating, this signifying that reforms are moving in the right direction,” said López-Claros, director of global indicators and analysis with the World Bank Group, at a conference that was part of the in Moscow. Russia Beyond the Headlines reports that Russia has improved its position in the Doing Business 2013 rating (up to 112th from 120th), occupying a place between Palau and El Salvador. The global rating covers 185 countries: Singapore has gained the top spot for the seventh year in a row, followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, the United States, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Georgia, and Australia.

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