In this position he led negotiations for Russia's first bid to join the World Trade Organization.
After being appointed Deputy Prime Minister for foreign trade in the fall of 1993, he began to liberalize Russia's export regulations in order to appeal to Western economic partners.
[6] In September of that year, at an economic forum in Beijing, Davydov stated that Russia's strategic goal is to increase cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries.
[8] In 1997 Davydov also referred to India as an important strategic partner for Russia, stating that the country did not allow Ukraine a license to export parts of T-80 and other tanks, as the Russian government did not want Ukraine to sell it to India's traditional adversary Pakistan.
[9] In 2000, he worked with Valery Oreshkin to publish a book titled Liberalization of Russian Foreign Trade: Problems and Prospects.