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Summary of the XII Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona

Summary of the XII Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona

The XII Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona, organized by the Roscongress Foundation, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Italian non-profit Conoscere Eurasia Association, has come to an end. The event was attended by more than 1,200 people from 41 countries including Italy, Russia, Austria, Vietnam, Germany, Israel, Portugal, USA, Turkey, France and others.

The business programme included six thematic sessions under the topic ‘Business connects Eurasia from the Atlantic to the Pacific’. The Forum discussions were devoted to cooperation between economic entities in Greater Eurasia, such as the role of business in modern geopolitics, the creation of an economy of cooperation from the Atlantic to the Pacific, cooperation in the energy sector and combating climate change, the implementation of joint transport and infrastructure projects, the financial sector amid the growing geopolitical challenges, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the digital economy of the future.

“In his greeting to the participants of the Eurasian Economic Forum, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin emphasized the unifying role of the business community in Eurasia, a continent which is home to over seventy percent of the world's population. That is why the Forum is of global importance – we need economic integration. We need to create an economy of trust not only in Eurasia, but also on a global economic scale. The subject of trust is discussed at business events around the world, and these discussions will continue at the Russian House in Davos, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and other major events,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation.

The Forum was attended by Vladimir Chizhov, Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU; Alexander Yakovenko, Rector, Diplomatic Academy of the Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Leonid Mikhelson, CEO and Chairman, Novatek PJSC; Elena Burmistrova, Deputy Chairperson of the Gazprom Management Committee, Gazprom PJSC, and General Director, Gazprom Export; Emma Marcegaglia, Chairperson, Eni; Robert Dudley, CEO, BP; Ivan Glasenberg, CEO, Glencore International; Tim Dodson, Executive Vice President for Exploration, Equinor; Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman, VTB; Romano Prodi, former head of the European Commission and Italian Prime Minister, President of the International Cooperation Fund; Stefano Manservisi, Director General, European Commission's Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development; Veronika Nikishina, Member of the Board, Minister for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission; Laziz Kudratov, First Deputy Minister of Economic Relations, Investment and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan and heads of large companies and business associations, governors, politicians, experts and diplomats.

Participants of the special session entitled ‘Systemic Challenges of the Global Energy’, discussed trends in the development of the global energy sector. The keynote address was delivered by Igor Sechin, CEO of Rosneft. He spoke about the primary factors that will impact the development of the energy market in the coming decades and the prospects for the development of shale oil production and green energy.

The Forum also played host to a number of special events. A separate session organized by the Civil Chamber of the Russian Federation and the Innosocium Foundation entitled ‘Social Inequality – One of the reasons of Current Global Crisis’. The moderator was Valery Fadeyev, Chairman of the Presidential Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. Participants discussed various crises that concern social and economic systems of the world today, as well as the role of inequality.

The representatives from Uzbekistan spoke about the investment potential of the country at the session ‘Uzbekistan and Italy - large projects’. A presentation of the investment potential of the Orenburg region was also held. Representatives of the Moscow Government presented their strategy for incorporating new technologies to ensure the sustainable development of urban transport infrastructure and energy facilities.

Summarizing the event, Antonio Fallico, Chairman of Intesa Bank and President of the Conoscere Eurasia Association said: “Since Conoscere Eurasia has been established 12 years ago we created a social and business movement, that brings the Forum values to life. We do not want to replace politicians, but we want to play the role of a business democracy, regional democracy, democracy of peoples and provinces. We are confident that the Eurasian Economic Union is a natural and necessary bridge between Europe, China, and the United States. The space from the Atlantic to the Pacific is a reality that exists, that works and that awaits a tangible input in the development of these relations.”  

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