Chinese officials invited to SPIEF 2018
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Azer Talybov addressed the plenary session of the twenty-first meeting of the Russian–Chinese Commission for Organizing Regular Meetings between Heads of State with a report on trade, economic, and investment cooperation between the two countries.
He discussed how joint efforts over the course of this year had resulted in sustained growth in bilateral trade, which as of the eight-month mark had increased by more than 35%, exceeding USD 54 billion. “Supporting high, double-digit growth rates in mutual trade is a complex challenge which demands the introduction of new formats for collaboration”, he noted.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to identify and remove barriers and restrictions with respect to cooperation in trade, the economy, and investment. In particular, a special consultation mechanism has been launched between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. “Together with our colleagues, we have exchanged lists which address a wide range of problematic issues in such areas as finance, insurance, tax, transport, certification, standardization, intellectual property, and agriculture”, Mr. Talybov said. He cited cooperation in the sphere of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a priority. “Russia is home to more than 6 million SMEs. These provide employment for 25% of the population and account for 21% of the country’s GDP. Our aim is to multiply these figures to match those seen in countries with the most developed economies and SME sectors. Our strategic goal is to increase the share of small and medium-sized enterprises in the country’s GDP to 40%”, he added.
The Deputy Minster underlined the importance of new forms of cooperation between China and Russia: electronic trade and the provision of online financial services. Interregional and cross-border cooperation is an important aspect of bilateral relations. In addition, he noted the need to deepen cooperation with China on special economic zones. “We are currently looking at an opportunity to set up a joint venture with the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, based on the Alabuga Special Economic Zone”, he explained.
Russia has already begun preparations for the Fifth China–Russia Expo. “We are planning to hold the event next year in Ekaterinburg, in parallel with the INNOPROM 2018 International Industrial Trade Fair, from July 9 to 12, 2018”, Mr. Talybov announced. This major bilateral exhibition and trade fair was held for the fourth time in June this year, in Harbin. The total value of the contracts and agreements signed at the exhibition exceeded USD 4 billion.
The Deputy Minister noted that a session of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly taking place in November 2018 in Paris will select the host country for the global exhibition EXPO 2025. Russia has been involved in the international exhibition movement for over 150 years, yet has never hosted an EXPO. “Bearing in mind the experience we have gathered in organizing large-scale international events, especially within the last few years, we are in a position to guarantee the highest level of preparation for EXPO 2025”, he said. Ekaterinburg has been proposed as the host city for the event. The city is a regular venue for international events, including such major examples as the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summits.
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Azer Talybov also invited session participants to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will take place in St. Petersburg on May 24–26, 2018.
Source: economy.gov.ru
