Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Vladimir Padalko welcomed the participants of the regular meeting of the Russia-South Africa Business Council, which took place on May 29 in the Small Hall of the Chamber on Ilyinka. In his greeting, he supported the colleagues' proposal to hold a joint meeting of the Business Council with the participation of members of the delegation of South African entrepreneurs on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum (July 26-29, St. Petersburg). Vladimir Padalko also spoke about other aspects of the preparations for the Russia-Africa summit and about the participation of the Chamber delegation in the BRICS Business Forum scheduled for August in Johannesburg (South Africa). The moderator of the meeting, Chairman of the Russia-South Africa Business Council, General Director of AZ "Ural" Pavel Yakovlev spoke about the work plans for preparing for the forum in St. Petersburg. Various aspects of trade and economic cooperation with South Africa, taking into account the agreements reached at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission of the two countries in March 2023, were presented by Emil Kuliev, head of the African countries section of the Department for the Development of Bilateral Cooperation of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. In his speech, he expressed the hope that the activation of the Russian part of the business council would bring practical results in terms of establishing interaction between the business circles of Russia and South Africa, and also that the chairman of the South African part of the business council would be appointed as soon as possible. Issues of business cooperation in the field of trade, energy and transport were considered at the meeting of the intergovernmental commission held in March, E. Kuliyev said. The intergovernmental commission also discussed the issue of launching the BRICS geological platform, the launch of which will allow the development of mining technologies. Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in South Africa Maxim Bureev, in his video conference speech, said that "now is the time for unconventional decisions" that could change the direction of transport corridors in trade with South Africa. The trade representative also presented the features of the work of Russian business with the banking sector of South Africa and named the figure of trade with this country, which in 2022 amounted to $1 billion 326 million. The participants of the meeting agreed on the importance of personal contacts with business representatives of the Republic of South Africa. Dmitry Piskulov, director for international projects of the Moscow Exchange, spoke about the prospects for settlements in national currencies with South Africa and the possibility of converting the rand and the ruble. He said that Russian banks are not able to open correspondent accounts with large South African banks. The possibility of opening such accounts with government support is key, he said, because political authorities, as he put it, must send a signal to grassroots structures. In his closing remarks, Pavel Yakovlev reminded the council members of the need to send proposals to the plan of work with the South African part of the Business Council by June 15.   Press Service of the Chamber

“The development and strengthening of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the ASEAN countries is one of the priority areas of foreign economic activity of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation,” Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Relations Elena Medvedeva emphasized on May 26 in her welcoming speech to the participants of the seminar “Philippines: Digital Bridge to ASEAN and the Whole World."   Currently, Russia is in the list of foreign trade partners of the Philippines in the third ten. “Therefore, there is still a lot of work to be done in this area, and we see a reserve for deepening economic cooperation,” she noted. For these purposes, in 2021, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry opened a regional office in Jakarta in the ASEAN countries. And at the end of 2022, the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the Philippines began its work. There is potential for developing cooperation with the Republic of the Philippines in many sectors, including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, digital technologies, transport and energy infrastructure.It should be reminded that earlier the Trade Representative of Russia in Singapore was accredited in the Philippines.   Ivan Polyakov, Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council, welcomed those gathered at the seminar at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and noted the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of advanced digital technologies.   The seminar was attended by Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines Igor Bailen, who spoke in detail about the history of relations between Russia and the Philippines and called his country an attractive destination for business in such industries as shipbuilding, food processing and others. According to him, in the most difficult times, business will always find its way.   "I have been ambassador of the Philippines for over a year now, and with the difficulties and challenges we all continue to face, I and my team have benefited greatly from meeting with the experts in the business and innovations sector in Moscow. We are learning that – вода камень точит, voda kamen' towchit – water breaks stones. It is similar to what we say in my country: “water seeks its own level”, Igor Bailen said. "The Philippines and Russia share almost 50 years of diplomatic relations, but people-to-people relations extend back over 200 years. The first Russian consular post established in Southeast Asia, in 1817, was in Manila, led by an Irish-American, Peter Dobell. While there have been milestones in the relationship, there remain vast, exciting areas to explore, especially in business", the Ambassador said. "But first, a brief description. We have a large and young and dynamic and highlyskilled, English-speaking workforce. And then, the Philippines has seen a steady increase in consumption, government spending, investments, and infrastructure development. Supply and demand in the manufacturing sector are driving growth this year and next year. All these make the Philippines a very attractive investment destination for international business and trade prospects", he noted.   "We’re also working hard to increase our competitiveness in industry sectors with high employment multipliers, such as shipbuilding, food processing, chemicals, automotive, electronics and garments. Our IT-Business Process Management sector, which started from scratch at the start of this millennium, is our success story, happening in a short span of time", the Ambassador stressed."At the beginning of his term last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. encouragedprivate sector engagement and investment for the benefit of the public. This includes legal and regulatory support to public-and-private partnerships. Using digitalized services, his administration is prioritizing transparent and efficient governance, shortening turnaround time, and curbing corruption. He has also laid down the foundation for a robust infrastructure for quick, reliable, and affordable internet services which will facilitate industries and deliver services. We have incentives to attract energy investments, improve the delivery of energy, and hasten the distribution of power to provide competitive prices. Most importantly, we prioritize productivity in agriculture and fisheries, in other words, food security", said Ambassador Igor Bailen.  "Consistent with the president’s vision, I am inspired by interesting stories of convergence in the digital sector, particularly those having applications that solve our existential problems. We can use real-time data monitoring to ensure a good rice harvest. With data solutions, we can pinpoint the exact time when our world-famous Philippine mangoes can reach their peak freshness and sweetness. And with the innovations pioneered by some of you in this room, we can help solve traffic, create more efficient processes, and respond to the needs of our people, while also creating more out of our value chains", Ambassador Igor Bailen stressed.   The seminar participants were addressed by Ms. Christine Umali, Trade Advisor to the Philippine Embassy in the Russian Federation, and Ms. Amor Maclang, Head of the Digital Philipinas Working Group, Executive Director of the Financial Technology Association of the Republic of the Philippines. They presented in detail the investment opportunities of the Republic of the Philippines and expressed the opinion that the potential of Russian technologies can be successfully revealed in this country. “The Philippines is located in the heart of Southeast Asia and provides access to the region's key markets,” said Christine Umali. The Philippines hosts a large number of high-tech manufacturing hubs, a trade advisor said. According to Amor Maclang, Russian and Filipino specialists could cooperate in the field of cybersecurity, which could be the best area for cooperation. She also called on Russian regions in higher education institutions to work more closely with the Philippines. Before the start of the seminar, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Russia-ASEAN Business Council and Digital Philipinas Technology Resources Inc. The meeting was chaired by Executive Director of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council Daniyar Akkaziev.   Press Service of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry  

During the Forum, there was great interest in cooperation in the field of industry, agriculture, transport and infrastructure, digital economy, energy, tourism and other industries.

On May 18, in Kazan, the President of the Chamber Sergey Katyrin signed the Cooperation Agreement between the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA). On behalf of the Islamic Chamber, the agreement was signed by Yousef Halavi, Secretary General. The signing of the documents took place on the sidelines of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum" held in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. A working meeting between Sergei Katyrin and Yusef Halavi was also held with the participation of Russia's Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ramazan Abdulatipov. Earlier, the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Sergey Katyrin also took part in the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Russian-Iranian Business Council and the Joint Iranian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, which was signed by the Chairman of the Russian-Iranian Business Council Leonid Lozhechko and the President of the Joint IRCC Hadi Tizkhush Taban. Press Service of the Chamber

President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Sergey Katyrin opened and acted as host of the plenary session of the chambers of commerce and industry of the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) "Coordinated interaction and understanding of the future" at the International Forum of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held as part of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum.   Sergey Katyrin noted that in the current international situation, in the process of the formation of a new multipolar world, the Islamic world is becoming one of the most important trade, economic and political partners for Russia, which is also mentioned in the Foreign Policy Concept of Russia approved by the President of the Russian Federation on March 31, 2023.   “The Islamic world actually occupies one of the most important places in the trade and economic relations of Russia. Over the past 10 years, it has been possible to significantly increase the volume of trade with the countries of the Muslim world, as evidenced by objective economic factors,” said the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.   The OIC, which is the main and largest Organization that unites Muslim countries, plays a coordinating role in the Islamic world. “And the entry of our country into the OIC as an observer state in 2005 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin actually marked the return of Russia as a reliable partner to the countries of the Islamic world,” he stressed.   Strengthening horizontal ties between business in Russia and business representatives of the Islamic world is one of the key tasks at this stage, S. Katyrin said. "Both the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Muslim countries, for their part, should play a key role in this process," he said.   According to Katyrin, the OIC countries have a great trade and economic potential, which is an important factor in the sustainable development of the global economy in the face of modern challenges. At the same time, this is a highly competitive and complex market that requires systematic work from business, and long-term support programs from the state. The tasks of the Chamber in this area are to create mechanisms for the implementation of strengthening cooperation, ensuring information exchange, enhancing cooperation in the field of exhibition and fair activities, work to eliminate legal barriers, and others.   The session was addressed by the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Reshetnikov, Secretary General (Deputy Minister) of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living of Malaysia Azman Mohd Yusof, Senior Vice President for Operations and Delo Group Denis Ilatovsky, Managing Director of OZON Holding Sergey Belyakov , President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture of Iran Gholam Hossein Shafei, Deputy Secretary General of the OIC for Economic Cooperation (Uganda) Ahmad Kavesa Sengendo, Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Yousef Hassan Halavi. Following the results of the plenary session, a press conference was held. Earlier, Mr.Katyrin took part in the grand opening of the international exhibition exposition "Russia Halal Expo", as well as the business breakfast "International trends in foreign direct investment: the role of Russia and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation."   Press Service of the Chamber

The International Forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, held as part of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum", was solemnly opened on May 17 in the Congress Hall of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan. This year the Forum brought together more than 250 participants from Russian regions and OIC countries.   Within the framework of the Forum, a meeting of business representatives from the Republic of Tatarstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran has already taken place.   Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan Shamil Ageev noted at the opening that the forum in 2023 is taking place in a new reality: “The situation has changed, our republic will reorient exports instead of the West to the East. It's not so easy, there is a painful restructuring. Enterprises need to be helped in this, which means that we need to multiply the number of our representative offices in friendly countries,” he stressed.   President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin noted in response that the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry already has two offices in China. And an agreement has already been reached with the delegation of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to open their office in Moscow: “It's a question of time, but there is an intention. Colleagues from Tatarstan, of course, said that the same office should first be opened in Kazan, and then in Moscow, but in the end we agreed that it would open in the capital first. But at least the Iranian colleagues had nothing against the capital of your republic,” he said.   Taliya Minullina, head of the Investment Promotion Agency (IDA) of Tatarstan, told the representatives of the Chamber about the main KazanForum events out of more than 200. The total number of participants this year will exceed 15 thousand people, while at the start, 10 years ago, it did not even reach a thousand. Delegations from 85 countries and 86 constituent entities of the Russian Federation gathered in Kazan this time, she said.   Press Service of the Chamber 

On May 17, in Kazan, at the Government House of the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov met with the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin and the heads of chambers of commerce and industry of foreign countries. The meeting was timed to coincide with the International Forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry that opened today, which takes place within the framework of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum".   Rustam Minnikhanov noted that KazanForum has become an effective platform for presenting investment opportunities, exchanging experience with foreign partners and establishing economic ties. The forum of chambers of commerce and industry, in turn, provides good opportunities for building new contacts between representatives of business communities. Minnikhanov stressed that Tatarstan is an advanced region of Russia, which occupies a leading position in industrial development, investment and exports. Favorable conditions have been created in the republic for the development of business and attraction of investments. Close ties have been established with the countries of the Islamic world. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tatarstan makes a significant contribution to strengthening the interregional and foreign economic activity of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov noted. Last year, the organization prepared and conducted visiting business missions to Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran. This year, business missions to Belarus, Turkey and Uzbekistan have been organized. In addition, dozens of business forums and meetings with foreign delegations are held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Rais of Tatarstan thanked the leaders of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry for the visit to Kazan and wished them successful work. "Our republic is always open for partnership," he added. In his response, Sergey Katyrin spoke about the tasks of the forum of chambers of commerce and industry and the business program. Thus, representatives of more than 45 Russian chambers and more than 10 foreign Chambers of Commerce and Industry are scheduled to participate in the forum this year. There will be a series of sessions dedicated to the development of family businesses, digital security, investment protection and other areas. Also, the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia highly appreciated the level of organization of the exhibition of halal products Russia Halal market in the agro-industrial park "Kazan". Press Service of the Chamber

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan hosted a B2B meeting of business representatives from the Republic of Tatarstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Entrepreneurs at the meeting were greeted by President of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mining and Agriculture Golam Hossein Shafei, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin and First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan Artur Nikolaev.   The Forum is integrated into the work of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum".   “Relations between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Russia and Iran are very good, the resources and potential of our countries in various fields can become a starting point and give a boost to the development of cooperation. We need to use the conditions that now exist and we already have positive results of interaction,” Gholam Hossein Shafei said. Sergey Katyrin stressed that today there is a great deal of interest in Iran and in the Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum International Economic Forum. “Only through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delegations from 40 regions of Russia will attend the Forum. And one of our tasks is to organize the relationship between the regions of Russia and Iran. This is the aim of the business councils of the two countries, which work under the wing of the chambers of commerce and industry. Our task is not only to discuss the difficulties that exist, but also to propose solutions for the Government of the Russian Federation,” he said.   Sergey Katyrin also noted that active work is underway to open a representative office of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Russia.   To date, over 250 people have registered to participate in the International Forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry: representatives of 33 regions of Russia, 43 Chambers of Commerce and Industry, 32 Presidents of the Russian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. As well as heads and representatives of the chambers of commerce and industry of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Oman, the Islamic Republic of Iran, representatives of the business community of the Republic of Azerbaijan and regions of Russia.Press service of the Chamber

President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin received on May 16 Chairman of the Federation Council of the Ethiopian Parliament Mr. Agegnehu Teshager, who is in Moscow on an official visit. In his welcoming remarks, Sergei Katyrin drew attention to the fact that economic ties are the main issue dealt with by the Chamber. He noted the importance of exchanging information about the capabilities of the two countries and stressed that few people in Russia know about the changes taking place in Ethiopia. “I would like the Ethiopian colleagues to know about the possibilities of Russia,” he said. It is necessary to work with the business community to establish information exchange, the head of the Chamber noted. Sergey Katyrin also spoke about the opportunities of Expocentre, a subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the largest organizer of exhibitions with international status, and invited business representatives from Ethiopia to take part in them. He also informed the African guest about AFROCOM, a structure that successfully operates under the RF CCI on the continent and should be used to develop bilateral ties. The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation noted that the regional structures of the Chamber exist throughout Russia and it should be taken into account how we can conduct exchanges at the regional level, especially in terms of small and medium-sized businesses.   Chairman of the Federation Council of the Ethiopian Parliament Mr. Agegnehu Teshager noted that there are good security relations between the two countries. "Russia has always been with Ethiopia in difficult times," he recalled. According to him, relations in the field of trade and investment should be developed. “The country opens itself to foreign investment and is always open to Russia,” said the representative of Ethiopia, who specifically pointed to the importance of Russian investment at a time when the global trading system is going through turbulent times. "Ethiopia has great potential to develop trade with Russia," Agegnehu Teshager said. This is not only abundant minerals (gold, lithium), but also the export of flowers and coffee, which until recently passed through Europe.   The representative of Ethiopia said that he was ready, as he put it, to "act as a bridge" for the development of contacts between the businesses of the two countries. And he invited to organize a Russian business mission to Ethiopia. According to him, all African countries are interested in developing relations with Russia. In this regard, Sergey Katyrin noted the importance of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum scheduled for July 2023, which will be held in St. Petersburg. The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation said that the Chamber is actively preparing for the Forum and will take part in it.   The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Constitutional Interpretation and Inspection of the Federation Council of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Tsehay Vorasa, Charge d'Affaires of Ethiopia in Russia Roza Yerkune and other accompanying persons. Press Service of the Chamber

On May 15, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the 2nd meeting of the Russian-Georgian Business Council (RGBC), which was attended by representatives of the Georgian business diaspora from the regions. The organization of stable supplies of Georgian products to the Russian market, primarily wine products, was considered as the main issue.   The Council decided to work out in detail the issue of expanding the export of Georgian wine to Russia with the relevant executive authorities and expanding the scope of laboratory control.In connection with this topic, representatives of Georgian and Russian business emphasized the importance of developing transport infrastructure, including ferry transportation, road transportation, and resuscitation of railway communication. It was decided to devote the next meeting of the WGDS to this issue, which is scheduled to be held in June.   In a welcoming letter from Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach to the participants of the meeting, which was read by a representative of the ministry, it was indicated that Russia occupies a leading position among Georgia's main investors, and trade continues to progress significantly. According to the Deputy Minister, a rapid growth of cooperation in the field of tourism is expected.   Press Service of the Chamber

On May 12, the House of the Peoples of Russia hosted the Day of the Georgian Diaspora, in which Vladimir Padalko, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, took part. The meeting was chaired by the President of the Federal Georgian National-Cultural Autonomy in Russia, David Tsetskhladze.   In his welcoming speech, Vladimir Padalko highly appreciated the recently announced decision of the President of Russia to resume direct flights between the two countries and to resume visa-free entry.   The Vice President of the Chamber noted the important role of regional business in the development of cooperation between the two countries, as well as the tasks that the Russian-Georgian Business Council, recently created at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, faces. He emphasized the role of Georgian businessmen who, despite the difficulties, are developing ties between Russia and Georgia in the field of winemaking, logistics, communications and supply chains, and are striving to restore the railway connection.   Vladimir Padalko presented David Tsetskhladze with a commemorative badge of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a rare edition “From the History of Russian-Georgian Relations”.   President of the Russian-Georgian Business Council Yuri Balashov also spoke at the event, noting the need to work with young people to strengthen relations between Russia and Georgia. -------------------------------------- The Day of the Georgian Diaspora has been celebrated in Russia since 2021 and gathers representatives of various regions. The Russian-Georgian Business Council was established on February 6, 2023 under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation>>>.

On the eve of the 78th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the leaders and employees of the Chamber, the World Trade Center, Expocentre, ANO Soyuzexpertiza and other subsidiaries of the Chamber laid a wreath and flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall, the monument to Marshal Georgy Zhukov and a memorial plaque to members of the Chamber who perished during the war. On behalf of the management of the Chamber, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin, Vice Presidents Maxim Fateev, Vladimir Padalko, Dmitry Kurochkin and Vadim Chubarov paid tribute to the fallen. Flowers were also laid at the monument to Marshal Georgy Zhukov and at the memorial plaque with the names of the members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation who fell on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, located in the building of the Federal Chamber. Press Service of the Chamber