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A Meeting of the Russia-South Africa Business Council Held at the Chamber30.05.2023Vice 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
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Seminar "Philippines: Digital Bridge to ASEAN and the Whole World" at the Chamber29.05.2023“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
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President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce Sergey Katyrin Moderated the Plenary Session of the Business Forum in Shanghai23.05.2023During the Forum, there was great interest in cooperation in the field of industry, agriculture, transport and infrastructure, digital economy, energy, tourism and other industries.
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Katyrin Signed an Agreement with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture18.05.2023On 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
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Katyrin Called for Development of Business Ties with Islamic World18.05.2023President 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
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The International Forum of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Opened in Tatarstan18.05.2023The 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
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The Head of Tatarstan Met the Leaders of Chambers of Commerce and Industry18.05.2023On 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
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Business Reps from Russia and Iran Met at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tatarstan17.05.2023The 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
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Katyrin Met with the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Ethiopian Parliament16.05.2023President 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
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The 2nd Meeting of the Russian-Georgian Business Council16.05.2023On 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
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Vice President of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko Took Part in the Day of the Georgian Diaspora15.05.2023On 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>>>.
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Africa Strives for a Balanced Relationship with Other Countries. What Will Russia Offer?13.01.2023The coming year should be a turning point in the development of Russia's economic relations with African countries. We have good prospects, but we will have to fight for a place under the African sun. We are not alone in appreciating the prospects of this continent. And not only appreciated, but set quite specific goals. At the US-Africa Leaders' Summit, which took place in mid-December, the White House clearly outlined a course to strengthen the position of American business in African markets. So the competition of the world's leading economies for the inclusion of the continent in the orbit of their interests is intensifying. The recently popular thesis is becoming an axiom that Africa will determine the future - and not only of its people, but of the whole world. From the point of view of economic development and the realization of national interests, it becomes a very specific call for the leading world powers to intensify their actions on the continent. Indeed, Africa today is a young, dynamically developing market, a continent that contains up to 30% of the world's mineral reserves, which are critical for the development of modern industry and high technology. According to experts, by 2050, 25% of the world's population will live there, and the volume of the consumer market will be $16 trillion. So the importance of Africa for world trade and investment will only increase in the foreseeable future. Against the backdrop of expert forecasts, the US-Africa summit, in a sense, launched the implementation of the US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, adopted in August 2022. It just determines the goals of strengthening economic cooperation. Including in very sensitive promising areas - in energy, healthcare, agriculture, finance, infrastructure and communication technologies. In general, the adoption of the strategy and the assessment of the preliminary results of the last summit indicate that the United States is returning to Africa in earnest and for a long time. And they are not going to just hand over their positions to their opponents there. During the business forum, which was attended by representatives of about 300 American and African companies, trade deals totaling $15 billion were concluded. And other countries - China, Turkey, Japan - periodically hold their summits on cooperation with Africa. And Africa itself, in terms of building foreign policy, is no longer the same continent as it was 20 years ago. Despite all the interest in developing foreign trade and attracting foreign investment in the economy, most African countries are striving to build balanced relations with partners. And they want to avoid the negative consequences of major power rivalry. According to Western experts, the current African leaders recall with concern the times of the Cold War, when the confrontation in Africa on the principle of "us or them" in the long run did not contribute to economic integration and building a common market on the continent. Now about the main thing for us. What will Russia offer in response to all these Napoleonic economic plans? Today our trade with Africa is $18 billion. We have something to focus on and draw conclusions, developing strategies. For example, China's trade with African countries is almost 260 billion, the US - just over 60 billion dollars. Of course, we need non-standard and non-sanctioned flexible mechanisms to promote investment and trade with African countries. It is necessary to step up work with African countries on specific projects. Clearly define your competitive advantages in areas in key sectors of the economy. And around them to develop a system of priorities, support measures, promotion. At the same time, you should soberly assess your capabilities, taking into account high market competition. For example, American experts admit that in Africa, American companies cannot compete with Chinese firms in the construction of roads and bridges. They are offered to focus on cooperation in healthcare, financial technologies and renewable energy sources. It is here that the competitive advantages of American companies are valued especially highly. Maybe we should seize the initiative? At the same time, we need to intensify work on building a reliable infrastructure that will help level the existing problems associated with the disruption of transport and logistics chains, settlements on transactions, and restrictions on the access of our products to the markets. African partners should be encouraged to introduce systems of mutual settlements in national currencies and barter transactions. Develop preferential trade regimes, create free economic zones, industrial hubs. It is also important to more actively implement our plans to expand the network of trade representations in Africa, to open trading houses and Russian business support centers. Russian business circles, I know this for sure, are waiting for the concretization of plans and breakthrough decisions that, on the whole, will make it possible to realize the existing potential of trade and economic cooperation. I hope that by the end of next year it will be possible to confidently speak about a new qualitative level in the development of economic relations between our country and African states.
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The President of the Chamber On the Situation of Russian Business after the Departure of Foreign Companies09.01.2023Western sanctions have affected the work of most Russian enterprises, but about 25% of companies that have lost partners abroad have already found new ones. This was stated to RIA Novosti by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia Sergey Katyrin. “We keep our finger on the pulse of business, first of all, of course, small and medium-sized ones as the most vulnerable. We are conducting a study called the Business Barometer of the Country, dedicated to the problems of entrepreneurs in the face of sanctions,” he said.“It turns out that the sanctions have had a noticeable impact on the work of more than 60% of those surveyed. At the same time, about 25% of companies that have lost partners abroad have found new ones,” the President of the Chamber added.However, nearly a third, he noted, were still looking for them, and they needed help. "For example, the Chamber recently organized a large business mission to Iran, 100 representatives of Russian companies took part in it," Katyrin said.At the same time, he pointed to the need to "accelerate the restructuring of the economy.""We need a monetary policy that takes into account the current realities. It is necessary to expand legislative support for entrepreneurship, help businesses find new foreign trade partners and consumers of our imports, and develop new supply chains," the head of the Chamber concluded.
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Sergey Katyrin Explained why Countries Aspire to BRICS16.11.2022Interest in the BRICS has increased dramatically in recent years. It can be said that a whole line of developing countries has formed, wishing to join this association of states. But how can we explain it? They are attracted by the alternative, said Sergey Katyrin, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, head of the Russian part of the BRICS Business Council, in an interview with the Novye Izvestia newspaper. The association, which today includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, offers all-round cooperation for the free development of its members, as opposed to the dictates of the global political and economic agenda, which is being promoted with increasing difficulty by the United States today with the help of Western-oriented blocs. “Regarding dictatorship, these are not my words, it was written by Newsweek, but it's hard not to agree with such a statement,” Sergey Katyrin specified.According to the head of the Russian part of the organization’s Business Council, the development of comprehensive cooperation within the Russia-India-China “triangle”, which became the prototype of BRICS, was once suggested by Yevgeny Primakov, a politician, scientist who headed the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for ten years. The Chamber actively promotes contacts between entrepreneurs from the BRICS countries, reduces administrative barriers, and implements joint projects, Sergey Katyrin stressed. He said that "the foundation of the organization in 2006, by the way, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, caused, on the one hand, a certain skepticism, and on the other, noticeable dissatisfaction with the United States due to possible competition." "As the authority of the BRICS grows, the US will try to increase pressure on the countries participating in the association in order to maintain the title of the center of world civilization and the world economy that has been appropriated to itself," he said. Many states do not want to fit into such an American "system of behavior", and the BRICS provides such an opportunity, Sergey Katyrin explained. The purpose of creating the association is to promote the stable growth of the economies of the BRICS members, finance projects in the field of infrastructure and the organization as a whole, although the countries included in it have different economic potential, are characterized by a powerful developing economy and important resources for the whole world. The economic systems of the Commonwealth members have a huge impact on the world market, emphasizes the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and cites the following data: the area of the current five countries of the organization is about 30 percent of the entire land mass, almost half of the world's population lives in them. In terms of GDP, China is the first economy in the world, India is the third, and Russia is the sixth. Many scientists and politicians today call BRICS a "new force" and sometimes even compare it with NATO or the UN. “This is fundamentally wrong,” explains Sergey Katyrin. - BRICS is not a formal alliance. Our organization has no headquarters, we have nothing to do with military agreements. BRICS does not have a charter and a permanent head, there is an annual rotation rule, when the work is coordinated by the next chair country. Members of the organization also have differences in geopolitical approaches. But this does not prevent work to strengthen economic and trade mechanisms outside the current Western framework. The participating countries observe equality and adhere to the principle of mutual respect. The leaders of the five states meet annually, and two dozen working groups have been created within the organization in various areas - agriculture, transport, energy, etc., they solve the issues raised at the next summit. BRICS has ambitious goals, including counteracting the global economic crisis, improving the quality of life of its population, the transition to high technology in all possible areas of life.Since 2015, the BRICS Development Bank has been operating - a kind of alternative to the IMF with a shareholder capital of $100 billion. The bank, Sergei Katyrin said, finances projects in the states of the association, naturally, and in Russia. Work is underway to create its own payment system BRICS Pay, which can be used in the participating countries. A pool of foreign exchange reserves of one hundred billion dollars has been created for use in unforeseen situations. The organization has a Network University with programs for masters, it works on the basis of universities of the participating countries. The creation of its own independent system of credit ratings is being discussed. This is necessary, if only because many well-known current rating agencies in their assessments are not exempt from political influence, which Russia has repeatedly seen from its own experience, said the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The most promising solution here, according to Sergey Katyrin, is the creation of an Alliance of BRICS rating agencies, united by a common methodology. This will allow maintaining sovereignty in the regulation of credit ratings in each of the countries of the "five". “Here, in fact, is part of what the BRICS member countries are doing and what, I believe, is very attractive for many developing countries,” Sergey Katyrin noted. Applications for membership in the organization were filed by Argentina and Iran, just a few days ago - Algeria. Active interest in participation in BRICS.
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Dmitry Lyubomudrov: “There is no Dominance in BRICS, Every Project is a Balance”10.11.2022Industrial cooperation and cooperation are not on the agenda of BRICS summits and meetings. But the cooperation of production enterprises on the basis of equality - the main principle of the Association's existence - is extremely necessary and important in the conditions of the formation of new production chains. With these goals, the BRICS Industrial Coalition was created in 2021.On the sidelines of the International Architectural Congress recently held at the WTC Moscow, representatives of the WTC press service spoke with Dmitry Lyubomudrov, co-chairman of the Council of the BRICS Industrial Coalition, CEO of the Design Process Club, member of the Council of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on financial, industrial and investment policy.The BRICS Industrial Coalition was created quite recently, in 2021. For what purposes was it created? Who is in the Coalition today?The BRICS industrial coalition is an association of enterprises to build production chains in the new conditions, when the unipolar world has ended, and new type macro-regions are just being created. A lot of Western equipment supply chains, repair and service contracts, and logistics have been broken. In fact, the entire commercial world is forced to reformat a large percentage. The global division of labor has collapsed. And we can no longer rely on the Western system, including the system of commercial law, arbitration, logistics, insurance, industrial chains. We can't rely on American microchips or German machines, even if it's all done in China.If contractors are in the Western world, we are forced to abandon them for the sake of supply and production security. And, since the leaders of our countries have agreed that Russia will build a new world order based on BRICS - these are the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the words of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and other BRICS countries will also build the world order in our macroregion - and this is a big part of the world, then we need new types of tools for this, such as the BRICS Industrial Coalition.As you know, BRICS is not an organization. If the SCO, for example, has an international General Secretariat, there is a vertical, then BRICS is a club of state leaders. And decisions are made at summits, where it has been repeatedly stated that the leaders of the BRICS states urge and encourage public business associations of their countries to engage in cooperation and build chains of interaction with each other.For 8 years now, we have had a non-profit partnership, the BRICS Joint Center for Business Cooperation (BRICS UCBC), on the basis of which BRICS industry associations have begun to be created. And in order to have not only intra-industry, but also inter-industry chains, new joint ventures, new BRICS factories, the BRICS Industrial Coalition was created. An industry association is a community in which members can compete with each other, and this makes cooperation difficult, it is difficult for them to build cross-industry chains, since the members of the association are concentrated in one area. And the BRICS Industrial Coalition was created in order for one plant to do one thing, another - another, a third - a third.The idea was born in the Russian national part of BRICS. We decided that we should set a worthy example. In order to invite enterprises from other countries, we must first assemble our factories and form a national base. Before making investment proposals for a particular plant, it is necessary that he himself prepares his base, products, achieves some success, attracts Russian contractors, partners, and shows that the chain is working. And then, in this consortium, it is already possible to invite companies from the BRICS countries and say: look, we have everything ready, we are guided by the decision of the summits, the decision of the BRICS heads of state, we have prepared the infrastructure, so we invite you and are ready to come to you.We are already running the first such project - IT Technopark named after A.V. Suvorov under the auspices of the BRICS Industrial Coalition in the Kursk region. IT is the most advanced, fastest, most urgent field. For example, the lack of microcircuits is a worldwide problem, both Western and Eastern countries face it. This is an aggravation of the situation with the Taiwanese company TSMC, American threats of war, the same as in Ukraine. Officially, our factories can no longer receive chips from Taiwan, and they need to be replaced with something. Parallel import - yes, we solve these problems too, but this is a temporary solution to problems. And the real solution is to gather factories of the BRICS and BRICS+ countries, and this is another 50 countries, and what we ourselves cannot do in the machine tool industry yet, take it in China, take it in India, take it elsewhere. Thus, a new joint venture is created, and the manufactured products are offered for distribution to other BRICS and BRICS+ countries.These countries have earnings and at the same time they are still involved in the control of the process. That is, if you co-invested in a microchip plant, you know that there will no longer be American "bookmarks" there.
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Vladimir Padalko: Business and Investment Environment in China will Remain Predictable10.11.2022Vice President of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko commented on the results of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China - Speaking about the groundwork that was formed by the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China, we can assume that new faces in the Politburo will strengthen the position of the country's leader, which will definitely contribute to the planned reforms. As some experts expect, the appointment of Li Qiang, a supporter of technological entrepreneurship, to a high government post can give a new impetus to the digital transformation of the Chinese economy. I would like to believe that with his assistance, China will set an example for the rest of the world not only in the speed of digitization of all aspects of society, but also in how to ensure the outstripping growth of human intelligence over artificial intelligence. The retention of the current Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the Politburo gives us reason to expect the PRC's foreign policy towards Russia to remain unchanged, but with less regard for the United States. As for the ideological message of the congress, the desire of the Chinese friends to take responsibility for the future of the world and overcome the limitations of the Western model of development based on the idea of colonial aggression and robbery of other countries deserves praise. The lessons of Chinese modernization, the desire of Chinese thinkers to transform and expand the Western model, seem to be timely and instructive. The proposed alternative in the form of a “community with a common destiny for mankind” may have a bright future. To do this, it must be simple and understandable, its meaning and postulates in all languages of the world and by all peoples must be interpreted and perceived unambiguously, be in harmony with nature, not contradict the moral and ethical principles developed by all mankind over thousands of years of history. It will have to take into account not only the Chinese specifics and developments in the transformation of the positive historical experience of Western civilization, but also, most importantly, the ideas and dreams about the image of the future that the rest of humanity has. This also applies to business. The business environment of our countries is looking forward to what results the 20th Congress will bring to entrepreneurs, what form and rules the trade and economic cooperation of our countries will be in the coming new era. So far, we have heard from the leadership of the PRC about the immutability of China's already set course for international cooperation, in which the business and investment environment for foreign capital in the PRC will remain predictable. I would like to believe that the planned and ongoing purchases of new aircraft by China will mark the end of the “zero tolerance policy” and the beginning of a new stage in the establishment of business ties, the revival of tourism and related industries. This can truly breathe life into the economies of our countries. Source: https://www.rbgmedia.ru/post.php?id=16476
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The Head of the Chamber Believes that Foreign Business Would Return to Russia - interview with "Rossiyskaya Gazeta"30.06.2022Excerpts from the interview of the head of the Chamber to the main government newspaper of the Russian Federation For the most part, foreign business shows no desire to leave Russia and tries to maintain relations with Russian partners. In such circumstances, we should not abandon the cooperation we have been building with them for years. Sergey Katyrin, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, spoke about this in an interview with “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” – main Russian official newspaper. How much does the withdrawal of some Western companies from the Russian market affect today? Are they gone forever? And what about trade relations with the West? Are those ties broken forever? Sergei Katyrin: You need to understand that we have developed long-term stable ties with the West, especially actively developed in recent decades. And to say that everything, from tomorrow we have no interests in the West, I think, is wrong and completely unpromising. Relationships should be maintained wherever possible. Undoubtedly, not everyone will be able to maintain them, and these sanctions will be with us for a long time, if not forever. However, I think that somehow countries will slowly start crawling out from under them: at first, without advertising, but less to comply with all restrictions - to buy something, sell something, and so on. There is also a foreign business that has invested a lot of money in Russia and does not want to lose it. Now some of them are forced to leave Russia, tighten up, reduce the volume of trade and production, and behave more modestly in the Russian markets. However, such decisions are made under strong pressure, primarily from governments, the leadership of these countries and public opinion. In the overwhelming majority of cases, foreign companies do not want to leave Russia. This is evidenced by the results of our numerous meetings with business associations of foreign countries - German, American, French, Japanese. Anyway, many of them hope that in the future they will return and work in our market. Inevitably, there will be those who want to work with Russia, do business here, keep themselves on our territory, or come later. Therefore, we must maintain relationships with those with whom we worked. At least we in the Chamber try to maintain relations with partners and convey to colleagues that any quarrel ends in peace. And sooner or later we will have to build bridges, so now it is better not to destroy them.
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African Market is Very Promising for Russia—Vladimir Padalko29.04.2022Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Mr Vladimir Padalko, has described the African market as very promising for Russian companies, especially those intending to localize their production on the continent blessed with several resources. In this insightful interview with our Media Executive Kester Kenn Klomegah, he also discussed the existing challenges and emerging prospects especially for strengthening trade and economic relations with Africa, amid unprecedented stringent sanctions by the United States, European Union and their Pacific allies. Here are the interview excerpts: What can we expect from the second Russia-Africa summit scheduled for this year? Is it worth talking about increasing the level of Russian investment, and strengthening interaction with African businesses? The second Russia-Africa summit will become an important starting point for cooperation between the Russian Federation and African countries. The economic situation for Russia has now changed dramatically, while most countries on the continent have refrained from participating in anti-Russian sanctions. Therefore, we are talking about the formation of new approaches in a wide field of interaction, adjustment, or rather an expansion of those strategic tasks that were formulated at the first Russia-Africa summit. Let me remind you that three years ago, priority areas for economic cooperation were identified in a number of industries. These are energy, infrastructure development, especially railway construction, mining and processing of minerals, agriculture, digital technologies, medicine, science and education. These priorities will be voiced at the second summit as well. But I think that the main topic of the upcoming forum will be the formation of new tools for fruitful cooperation between Russia and Africa, including new methods of mutual settlements, logistics routes, media and cultural communication. How competitive is the current African market for Russian companies and potential investors who have shown interest in Africa? In recent years, many African countries no longer experience a lack of attention from foreign partners. Unfortunately, today the share of Western states, as well as China, in trade with African countries is much higher than Russia’s. But, nevertheless, our country is able to occupy significant niches in many areas. We sell very popular goods in Africa: fertilizers, oil products, wood products, plastics, rolled metal products, grain, certain types of machinery and equipment, and vehicles. In turn, African countries are ready to supply the Russian market with a whole range of food products, with the supply of which problems have recently arisen. And in some countries, in particular, South Africa, there are good products in mechanical engineering, chemical, and food industries, which will also be useful for us today. The African market today is very promising for Russia, but also very difficult. Russian business needs to work on it thoroughly and systematically in order to achieve success. Does the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation intend to encourage Russian companies to localize their production in African countries, thereby using one of the most reliable ways to expand trade and economic cooperation? The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation supports all positive trends in business, including foreign economic activity. The localization of Russian production in African countries is already a mature stage of cooperation when companies understand all the specifics of doing business in a particular country and are confident in the long-term nature of project implementation, and the return on their investments. In my opinion, now for the majority of Russian companies that intend to work in Africa, it is important to create a set of tools that will allow them to confidently develop their business with the countries of the continent. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation has already prepared a set of proposals that should seriously help the promotion of Russian business to African markets. The initiatives were discussed and approved at the last meeting of the heads of business councils at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation for cooperation with African countries. For example, it is important that Russian banks come to Africa. Now there is only one bank – it is very small for the whole continent. We need settlement banks that would work with different currencies, and not just with dollars and euros. The President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin, in a letter to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, proposed to conclude intergovernmental agreements with African states on the use of national currencies in mutual settlements and payments. It was also proposed to work out the issue of establishing a specialized export-import bank and a trust fund to support the export activities of small and medium-sized businesses in African countries. We really need a Russia-Africa trading house. In connection with the latest events in the world, international logistics have seriously changed. We need commodity hubs that work for several countries at once. As you can see, we are now at the stage of creating an infrastructure that will allow us to reach a qualitatively new level of cooperation between Russia and Africa. Business needs vital information, knowledge about the investment climate, and the specifics of work in a particular country. Business needs vital information, knowledge about the investment climate, and the specifics of working in a particular country. Do you think there is an information vacuum between Russia and Africa? The information vacuum definitely exists, and this obstacle should first be removed. One of the most effective tools in this direction is holding exhibitions. Experience indicates that business in Africa shows great interest in them. In connection with this, the CCI of the Russian Federation proposes to redirect the funds allocated for exhibitions in Europe to the organization of exhibitions and business forums in African countries. But at the same time, it is necessary to work quickly – it takes an average of six months to prepare any exhibition, and the situation in this area can change dramatically. It is also necessary to organize business missions more often, hold roadshows, presentations of Russian companies in African countries. The online format of communication is good, but direct contact, so to speak, on earth is always effective and brings returns. I would like to note that the CCI of the Russian Federation intends to actively contribute to the expansion of the network of trade representative offices in Africa. Currently, there are only four Russian trade missions operating on the continent; Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and South Africa. There should be more of them. What do you think are the main problems for foreign players on the African continent, what hinders the development of trade and the influx of Russian investments into African countries? Trade and economic cooperation is always a bilateral process. African countries need to further develop financial and investment infrastructure, which foreign partners, in our case, Russian ones, will be able to rely on. Do not hope that investors will come, find promising projects on their own and implement them at their own expense. At the same time, the experience of the Soviet Union shows that it is possible and necessary to cooperate with African countries in a broad format. However, the economic model of interaction is now fundamentally different – no one will recklessly invest. All work is based on a mutually beneficial basis. At the same time, Russia is now living in fundamentally new economic realities. Many communications, logistics, and supply chains have been disrupted. Business is forced to adjust strategies for working with foreign partners and to look for new opportunities for their development. And in this situation, cooperation in friendly areas – with African countries – becomes one of the priorities. At the end of this exclusive interview, what are your final motivating words and what can you wish for potential clients and partners in Africa? Africa has changed a lot in recent years. A number of countries show high rates of economic growth, new industries are developing, enterprises are opening, and not in the sphere of primary processing of minerals and agricultural raw materials. The African continent has become a place of expansion for many foreign companies. Russia cannot stand aside from this process. Businesses need to take the initiative and take a certain risk – it is like two sides of a coin. The main thing is that our country has a good mood for the development of cooperation, and this is unambiguous on the part of African countries as well. So, we will succeed. There is a wide field of collaboration ahead.
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Igor Morozov, Chairman of AFROCOM: “For Russia Africa is the last relatively free market for the export of domestic goods”14.02.2022In recent decades, Africa has become the main continent for which an active struggle is unfolding between the Euro-Atlantic region and Greater Eurasia. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the European Union is increasing its trade turnover with African countries, and today it amounts to more than 300 billion dollars a year.
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TASS: the Managers of the Chamber Said that the Business of Russia and the United States is Set to Develop Cooperation09.02.2022It would be extremely unwise for politicians to destroy excellent opportunities for cooperation, said the head of the chamber, Sergei Katyrin
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