The IX International Scientific and Expert Forum “Primakov Readings” took place on November 27-28 at the International Trade Center in Moscow. The forum brought together famous experts, diplomats and politicians in the field of international relations and the global economy. In his speech, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin emphasized that today it is very important to strengthen the dialogue with representatives of the business community of friendly countries, strengthen industrial cooperation, and identify new promising ways of technological partnership.Katyrin expressed confidence that the so-called turn to the East has taken place - this is evidenced by the indicators of Russian foreign trade. According to the Federal Customs Service, trade with Asia today accounts for about 70 percent of Russia’s total trade turnover. At the same time, cooperation with Europe is steadily declining. Thus, exports to Europe for 9 months of this year decreased by 70 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, imports from Europe fell by 10 percent. Exports to Asia increased by 10%, imports from Asia by 40 percent.   “Thus, today a new market configuration and a new geography are emerging for Russia. We believe that in the medium term, approximately this configuration will remain,” Katyrin said. Among the main tasks that the system of chambers of commerce and industry sets for itself, he named the expansion of cooperation with the business communities of the CIS countries, the EAEU, the SCO, and BRICS; countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.   Katyrin also added that the Russian Chamber aims to monitor the situation, maintain long-term established ties, and support those foreigners who remained in Russia and continue to participate in the implementation of launched projects. At the opening, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee Yuri Ushakov read out Vladimir Putin’s greeting to the participants of the Primakov Readings.   In his speech, Yu. Ushakov noted that the period of global dominance of the West, which began with the era of great geographical discoveries, is now ending, and the world is “moving away from Western-centricity towards multipolarity.” Ushakov also added that it is Russia, with the help of specific deeds and consistent policies, that contributes to the formation of a new world order and is the locomotive of this objective process.Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev said that Russia, together with the world majority, today defends a democratic world order, while the collective West behaves “extremely authoritarian.”   The President of the National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations named after Yevgeniy M. Primakov (IMEMO RAS), Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin, spoke at the opening.  By Nail Shakhvaliev, Press Service of the Chamber

On November 27, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin held a working meeting with the General Director of the international investment congress in the United Arab Emirates “AIM Congress” Walid Farghal. The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Congress) is an annual investment congress held in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on the initiative of the AIM International Foundation, an independent international organization whose goal is to expand the capabilities of the global economy by promoting promising projects and increasing economic productivity. In 2023, the Congress attracted over 10 thousand participants from 175 countries.   During the meeting, Sergei Katyrin noted the importance of developing investment cooperation and strengthening bilateral dialogue between countries. He reported on the implementation of a project to introduce the Regional Investment Standard in the constituent entities of Russia and the role of the system of chambers of commerce and industry in this process, emphasizing that this experience can be useful to foreign partners both in implementing their own investment policy and in the case of investment projects in the regions of Russia.  Нe also recommended that guests visit the international exhibition-forum “Russia”, which takes place in Moscow on the territory of the VDNKh exhibition complex, and noted that the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with regional chambers, actively and regularly participates in the work of the Forum. The President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry supported the idea of ​​cooperating the system of chambers of commerce and industry with the AIM Congress and instructed to carry out preliminary work to prepare a delegation of regional chambers of commerce and industry to participate in the annual investment forum in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in May 2024. Walid Farghal spoke about the goals and objectives of the AIM Congress, noting the importance of comprehensive assistance in attracting foreign direct investment, developing small and medium-sized businesses, stimulating start-ups and implementing innovative projects. He emphasized that the Congress is aimed at supporting a wide range of economic sectors: industry, agriculture, energy, healthcare, technology, finance, etc. Traditionally, the AIM Congress brings together investors, representatives of government authorities, chambers of commerce and industry, private businesses, and financial institutions from various countries. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain a working dialogue in order to coordinate joint business activities. The meeting was attended by Vice President of the Chamber Dmitry Kurochkin and AIM Global business manager for cooperation with Russia Olga Kolomeitseva. Department of Project and Investment Activities

On November 10, a meeting of the BRICS Business Council was held to transfer the mandate of chairmanship of the association from the Republic of South Africa to the Russian Federation in 2024. During the meeting, held via videoconference, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin accepted the credentials from Ms. Buzi Mabutsa, Chairman of the South African part of the BRICS Business Council. In his speech, Sergei Katyrin noted the excellent organization of the Annual Meeting and Business Forum by the Republic of South Africa, the rich program of working group meetings, as well as thematic sections and round tables held at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August this year. “We highly appreciate the approach of our South African colleagues, who set the task of emphasizing the high role and relevance of the Business Council in promoting the interests of entrepreneurs of our countries and developing trade and economic ties within the association,” said the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   “All representatives of the Russian part responded to your initiative to hold today’s extraordinary meeting and are ready to take up the baton of chairmanship of the BRICS Business Council,” said S. Katyrin.    “We will be grateful for your recommendations for the presidency in 2024,” said the head of the Chamber. In her speech, Ms. Buzi Mabutsa presented the results and achievements of the BRICS Business Council during South Africa's chairmanship over the past year. Representatives of South African working groups spoke at the meeting, talking about cooperation in the field of aviation management, financial services, infrastructure and industrial production. Representatives of India Naveen Kapoor and China Liu Zheying addressed the meeting participants with greetings.   “We in the Russian part of the BRICS BC approach the upcoming chairmanship with great responsibility. “10 years of joint hard work are behind us,” recalled the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He assured that the results of the South African chairmanship of the Business Council, as well as the example in organizing the business program, will be developed on the agenda of the “Russian” year.   “We are drawing up a plan for the main events of the BRICS Business Council, after approval of which we will hold a number of internal meetings and, from the beginning of the year, we will launch work through the secretariats and working groups of the national parts of the BRICS BC,” said S. Katyrin.   From January 1, 2024, with the involvement of new colleagues, we are actually moving to a new level of work, primarily due to the effect of “scale”. Now not 5, but 11 states will participate in the work of the Council. At the same time, the number of representatives from national units increased from 25 to 55, said the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   “In this regard, we believe it is extremely important to competently and timely “immerse” our new colleagues in the current agenda. At the same time, we count on the active participation and support of all representatives in the current composition of the “five,” said S. Katyrin. The President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry thanked Buzi Mabutsa and her team for their joint work as part of the presidency of the BRICS Business Council in 2023 and invited her and all respected colleagues to Kazan - already in October next year.   By Peter Cheremushkin, Press Service of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

On November 8, in the gallery “On Chistye Prudy”, located in the building of the Business Center of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, an exhibition of African art from the collection of Marina Schmidt “Africa: Love at First Sight” opened. About 200 works by contemporary African artists are presented on two floors of the Center. Particular attention is drawn to relief panels, wooden and bronze sculptures, and ivory sculptures. Traditional ritual masks, genre scenes from life, portraits, abstract works and phantasmagoric flights of fancy of artists - carvers from Tanzania, Mozambique, Mali, Congo, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia. Most of the works in the collection were purchased from Soviet specialists and their descendants who worked on the African continent, providing humanitarian and technical assistance to African countries. The exhibits presented at the exhibition date mainly from 1950-1980. It was then, in connection with the decolonization of African countries and their gaining political independence, that a rise in creative activity began, and recognizable new styles in painting appeared. The exhibition will last until December 3. Admission is free, the gallery is open daily from 10.00 to 20.00. By Peter Cheremushkin  Press Service of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Ruslan Davydov, acting head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia, spoke at the plenary meeting and said that 25 states were participating in the Forum

Industry trade shows and exhibition activities in general are helping to increase connections between regions, especially now that supply chains are being restored. This was stated by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Sergei Katyrin in his welcoming speech at the opening of the IX All-Russian Conference on Exhibition, Fair and Congress Activities and the XIII International Forum of the Exhibition Industry “5pEXPO-2023”, held on October 24 at the Expocenter on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment. “Today is the case when exhibitionists can talk about exhibitionists, about their problems, about their affairs, about what needs to be worked on,” said Sergei Katyrin, addressing the participants of the Exhibition Industry Forum. “Recently it has become clear that our entrepreneurs and manufacturers know little about what their neighbors are doing in terms of technology, what capabilities certain enterprises have, and what they can produce. We encountered this when we worked to overcome sanctions, when we restored broken supply chains, when we looked for suppliers. It was then that the governors realized that not only huge international forums were needed, but also regional exhibitions,” noted the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Before the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry inspected the exhibition, especially emphasizing the importance of developing exhibition sites in the regions. This year at the Forum the exhibition “Exhibition City 5pEXPO” was created. For the first time, the Department of Regional Development of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has formed a collective exposition of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry “Regions”, where regional chambers of commerce and industry are represented: Moscow, Stavropol Territory, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Bryansk, Tambov, Smolensk regions. According to the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recently our situation with international partners has leveled off: some of them returned, others did not leave and continued to work. “Our foreign partners continue to work, for which we are grateful to them. They also participate in congress and exhibition activities. We would like to retain those who work in Russia and with Russia,” he said. Sergei Katyrin noted the work of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the field of legislative activity, which produces concrete results. In particular, in July, the term “congress and exhibition event” was defined at the federal level. In September, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the Strategy for the development of congress and exhibition activities until 2030. “The main reference points have been outlined, but this does not mean that we have resolved all the issues. We, of course, would like a law on exhibition activities to be adopted,” emphasized S. Katyrin. The plenary session was addressed by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Alexey Gruzdev, President of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs, General Director of ExpoForum-International Sergey Voronkov, Deputy General Director of PJSC International Trade Center Vadim Subbotin, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation, Director of the St. Petersburg International economic forum Alexey Valkov and others. The speakers noted that congress and exhibition activities continue to be one of the effective tools for demonstrating and promoting goods and services on the domestic market and maintaining business contacts with partners from foreign countries, but also the basis for building and establishing new business connections. Press Service of the Chamber

The meeting between the head of the Chamber Sergei Katyrin, and the Ambassador of Ethiopia, Cham Ugala Uriyat, was devoted to discussing upcoming contacts between the business community of Russia and Ethiopia and the participation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   The meeting was attended by Vice President of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko, Deputy Director of the Department of External Relations of the Chamber Ilya Nesterov and others.   As Sergei Katyrin noted, today the main task for the developing Russian-Ethiopian relations is to increase trade turnover between our countries. The Chamber system has capabilities that entrepreneurs can use and provides access to any point in the regions of Russia, S. Katyrin noted. According to him, there is an opportunity and need for the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to work more actively with Russian regions.    The Ambassador of Ethiopia emphasized that recently there has been an increase in trade turnover, which was facilitated by the resumption of Ethiopian Airlines flights from Moscow, flying three times a week. This became possible thanks to the signing of an agreement at the Russia-Africa summit held in St. Petersburg. According to the Ambassador, an increase in the frequency of flights and the emergence of cargo flights will lead to increased cooperation.   The President of the Chamber also welcomed the resumption of direct flights between Russia and Ethiopia and emphasized the opportunities opening up in this regard for increasing the tourist flow to African countries. He also especially noted that organizing direct, without the participation of intermediaries, supplies of products from Ethiopia to Russia, such as flowers and coffee, will increase profits for businessmen and will allow them to offer consumers the best prices.   During the meeting, issues of holding a Russian-Ethiopian business forum, in which the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry could take part, were discussed the date of which will be decided in the near future. In this regard, Sergei Katyrin noted the importance of disseminating information about Ethiopia for Russian business and presenting this country at Expocentre exhibitions and in the regions.       Press Service of the Russian Chamber

The delegation, headed by the Chairman of the Sakarya Chamber of Commerce and Industry Akgün Altug, is in Russia on a return visit after representatives of the Lipetsk Chamber traveled to Turkey

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a presentation of the economic, industrial and investment potential of the Kirov region. The region was represented by Governor Alexander Sokolov and members of the regional government. Before the start of the official part, representatives of the Kirov Region delegation, together with the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin and the Vice-President of the Chamber Maxim Fateev, inspected the exhibition in the foyer of the Congress Center. It presented the products of the Kirov region, in particular, consumer goods, light and food industries, as well as brands of the region, known far beyond its borders. The excursion was conducted by the President of the Vyatka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Union Andrey Usenko. As Sergey Katyrin noted during the presentation, the Kirov region borders on nine Russian regions, which largely closes questions of sales and search for components for current and potential investors.   “In my opinion, a very serious set of preferences is provided for investors in the region. This gives advantages to the region, which is interested in implementing investment projects on its territory,” noted the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.   Governor Alexander Sokolov told the presentation participants that forests occupy more than 60% of the territory of the Kirov region. In terms of logging and wood processing volumes, the region is one of the largest producers in Russia.   Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Kirov Region Mikhail Sandalov presented a report on the development of machine tool industry in the region. For example, the LEPSE plant produces specialized lathes. 50 machines have already been manufactured and put into operation, which meet the latest requirements for machining and have a modern numerical control system. Companies from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and the Nizhny Novgorod region showed interest in purchasing the plant’s lathes. Milling, drilling, sharpening and grinding machines are produced by Vyatka Machine Tool Plant, Kirov Machine Tool Plant, Lesmaster Plus, woodworking machines - Stankoles-Trade, Pilotekhnika. Omutninsky Metallurgical Plant developed and began production of guides for linear bearings used in machine tools.   A report on the prospects for the development of the milk processing industry was presented by Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Kirov Region Yuri Tereshkov. Rector of Vyatka State University Valentin Pugach spoke about the training of engineering personnel.At the presentation, a video was presented dedicated to the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the founding of Kirov in 2024.   A ceremony was held to sign a cooperation agreement between the Kirov region and Haier Electrical Appliances RUS. The document was signed by the regional governor Alexander Sokolov and Haier business development director Lyudmila Romanova. During the day, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry held round tables “Folk artistic crafts – the calling card of the region. Integration of crafts into the education and enlightenment system”, “Biotechnology as an element of the region’s investment attractiveness”, presentation of the tourism potential of the Kirov region and the program for celebrating the 650th anniversary of the founding of Kirov, as well as B2B meetings.   Press Service of the Chamber 

On October 11, a joint meeting of the Russian-Kyrgyz and Kyrgyz-Russian Business Councils was held in Jalal-Abad, which was chaired by Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Padalko from the Russian side. The moderator from the Kyrgyz side was Vice-President of the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry Elmira Bataeva. Assessing the state of trade and economic relations with the Kyrgyz Republic, Vladimir Padalko noted a fairly high dynamics of growth in trade turnover. “At the end of 2022, the volume of mutual trade between Russia and Kyrgyzstan increased by 36.8% compared to 2021 and amounted to 3.4 billion US dollars,” he said.The Vice President of the Russian Chamber noted that the Chamber has extensive experience working with business councils - for more than 30 years. In the new economic conditions, the role of business councils is increasing; they are faced with new important tasks, emphasized the Vice President of the Russian Chamber. Businessmen expect specific practical assistance from us: in finding alternative suppliers of products, entering new markets, and solving problems in mutual settlements. The second most important task of the Business Councils is to identify systemic problems and additional reserves in trade and economic relations with a partner country, and promptly communicate information about the urgent needs of business to the relevant government agencies. The Russian-Kyrgyz Business Council has existed under the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2012. The Council has carried out significant work during this time. In February of this year, a planned rotation took place in the leadership of the Business Council. “Today we are holding the first joint meeting chaired by Temir Sariev and Vladimir Kompaneishchikov. We hope that they will make maximum use of available resources to ensure the effective functioning of the councils,” noted V. Padalko. The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, Temir Sariev, addressed the meeting participants with a welcoming speech. Next, the meeting was addressed by the Chairman of the Russian-Kyrgyz Business Council Vladimir Kompaneishchikov, as well as Deputy Director of the Spectrum Group of Companies Marina Fedorova, General Director of Avtomash-Radiator LLC Yuri Vladimirov, Head of the Department of Investment and Project Activities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Elmyrza Ukubaev, Co-Chairman of the Kyrgyz-Russian business council Nurbek Atakanov and others. A presentation of projects by Russian and Kyrgyz companies and a discussion of promising areas of trade and economic cooperation in the fields of industry, construction engineering, energy, agriculture and microelectronics took place. As a result of the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Osh region, the Osh regional branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in the field of creating an industrial park. Press Service of the Russian Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and its structures, including in the regions, are open to cooperation with Singapore, despite the political restrictions that have arisen recently, said President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin at a meeting on September 27 with the Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the Russian Federation Mark Neo. “The capabilities of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry remain, and we remain open to cooperation,” emphasized S. Katyrin.   The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is interested in developing business cooperation in all previously outlined positions. We understand the political difficulties of the Singaporean leadership and are ready for flexible approaches in solving our and your economic problems. In the Singapore direction, we have a very effective business council. “We need to meet more often and share our vision of the future,” said the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. S. Katyrin invited the Singaporean side to participate in exhibitions held at Expocentre, noting that Prodexpo remains one of the largest. The President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also raised the issue of restoring direct flights between Russia and Singapore, which could open up the opportunity for Russians to travel to Southeast Asia.   Singaporean Ambassador Mark Neo noted that differences in geopolitical approaches should not be an obstacle to cooperation in the private sector. The ambassador recalled that he had recently met with S. Katyrin in Vladivostok at an economic forum and noted the active work of the Russian-Singapore Business Council. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chairman and Executive Director of the Russian-Singapore Business Council Sergei Pronin.   By Peter Cheremushkin, Press Service of the Chamber

Vice Presidents of the Chamber Vladimir Padalko and Dmitry Kurochkin met on September 25 with a delegation from the Sultanate of Oman, which presented Russian entrepreneurs with the investment potential. A delegation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion of Oman is in Moscow to present the National Investment and Export Development Program of the Sultanate of Oman “Nazdahir” and hold a number of working meetings with large Russian companies.   In his speech, Vladimir Padalko noted the great interest in cooperation with Oman and called the Chamber’s task “to popularize projects in Russia that can be done with Oman.” V. Padalko especially emphasized the importance of cooperation with Russian regions, which have unique capabilities. Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dmitry Kurochkin spoke about the Russian side’s readiness to invest in tourism and real estate. “We are preparing projects that would be interesting for Oman,” he said, noting the great work in this direction done at the Russia-Islamic World Summit held in Kazan. In their presentation, representatives of the Sultanate of Oman noted that their country has a strong financial foundation, resistant to unfavorable economic conditions and geopolitical risks, strong diplomatic and trade relations at the regional and international levels. This country represents one of the most reliable financial systems in the Middle East. According to visitors, the Sultanate of Oman has a history of remaining strong and resilient, always managing to offset the negative economic impact of global downturns such as the recent pandemic, events in Ukraine and the Great Recession. According to the World Bank, the Sultanate of Oman is one of the most politically stable economies in the Middle East, ranking 3rd. The presentation stated that the Sultanate of Oman has a variety of world-class logistics and infrastructure, which play a vital role in increasing business efficiency, expanding trade flows and reducing transportation costs. Oman has an extensive road network of more than 11,000 km, connecting all major cities in the country and neighboring countries. Strategically located commercial ports operated by world renowned companies. Oman has 5 commercial ports: 3 maritime and 2 industrial, and there are also airports with a wide network of routes around the world. There are only 5 international and domestic airports in Oman.   Alexey Rubtsov, Chairman of the Russian-Oman Business Council, Deputy General Director for Project Management and Investments of VO Promsyreimport JSC, spoke to the participants of the extended meeting of the Russian-Oman Business Council (ROBC), who presented the areas of greatest interest for cooperation with Russia. Alexey Rubtsov, in his speech, focused on the prospects for the development of domestic projects in Oman, as well as expanding the practice of systematically conducting online consultations with representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Investment, Omani entrepreneurs in specific industries. It is advisable to organize such online conferences with interested company representatives together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Russian Export Center with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Holding extended conferences will make it possible to most fully inform domestic business about the conditions provided by the Sultanate of Oman, and to form a pool of projects on the Russian side for their practical implementation, taking into account the availability of various incentive programs in the Sultanate, including Nazdahir. The Russian-Omani Business Council (ROBC) was created on August 31, 2005. In September 2022, Alexey Rubtsov became Chairman of the Russian-Oman Business Council. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Russian Federation Hamud Salim Al Tuwaikh, the President of the National Investment and Export Development Program of the Sultanate of Oman Khalid Al Shuaibi, the head of the investment direction of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion Khadija Al Sakatari and others.   Press Service of the Chamber, By Peter Cheremushkin