Business programme

The new shift in international relations has revived the concept of great power rivalry, particularly in the economic sphere. Given these circumstances, the establishment of an independent logistics system, unaffected by external influences, is crucial for facilitating efficient trade and the free movement of goods without fear of sanctions imposed by rival powers. The potential of new transportation routes, particularly maritime corridors, depends directly on a nation's scientific and technological capabilities, as well as the potential of its industrial complex. An illustrative example is the Northern Sea Route, which has experienced a tenfold increase in traffic over the past decade. This was achieved through scientific advancements in the field of nuclear power and the expertise of Russian shipyards in building a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers. This approach must be adopted universally. To accomplish this, the industry must undergo rapid debottlenecking to achieve technological sovereignty and construct a new transport and passenger fleet that serves the interests of Russia and its partners. What decisions need to be made to achieve the aforementioned objectives? What advanced developments can Russia offer to its global partners today? Should Russia strive for complete self-sufficiency or establish independent "technological blocs" by collaborating with friendly states? What is the basis for successful economic expansion today? Which lessons from the historical experiences of Western countries are applicable, and what is counterproductive?

Moderator
Ivan Timofeev, Director General, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)

Ivan Timofeev

Director General, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)

Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Director of Programmes of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC); Associate Professor at MGIMO University. Since 2011, he has been responsible for the intellectual performance of RIAC, managing its programmes and projects. His personal background at RIAC includes working with Russian and foreign diplomats, governmental officials, experts, businessmen and NGO leaders regarding Russia’s foreign policy and public diplomacy. Since 2015 he has also been a programme director at the Valdai Discussion Club. Before joining RIAC, Dr. Timofeev was Head of Analytical Monitoring Centre at MGIMO University (2009–2011). He has been Associate Professor at MGIMO University since 2006. Dr. Timofeev is the author and co-author of more than 80 publications, issued in Russian and foreign academic press. He is a member of the editorial board at Comparative Politics.

Panellists
Anton Alikhanov, Governor of Kaliningrad Region
Evgeniy Ditrikh, Chief Executive Officer, GTLK
Viktor Evtukhov, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Andrey Kutepov, Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Kirill Lipa, General Director, Transmashholding
Alexey Rakhmanov, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, United Shipbuilding Corporation
Vyacheslav Ruksha, Deputy Director General – Director for the Northern Sea Route Directorate, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Alexander Tsybulskiy, Governor of Arkhangelsk Region

Anton Alikhanov

Governor of Kaliningrad Region

Born September 17, 1986 in Sukhumi, Abkhazia.
Mr. Alikhanov graduated from the All-Russia State Tax Academy under the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, majoring in Law, as well as Finance and Credit, and got a PhD in Economics.
Anton Alikhanov started his career in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in 2010. In 2013 he got a job in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In September 2015 Mr. Alikhanov was appointed the Acting Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast by the President.
Awards:
- 2-nd degree Medal of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for outstanding diligence;
- President’s Certificate of Merit.
Married, with two children.

Evgeniy Ditrikh

Chief Executive Officer, GTLK

Education
1996 Graduated from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute
1999 Graduated from Higher School of Privatization
1999-2000 Passed professional retraining at the Russian State Academy of Labor and Employment of the Russian Ministry of Labor under the program "Evaluation Activities"
Professional activities
1995-1998 State Committee of the Russian Federation for State Property Management of the Russian Federation (at present - Federal Agency for State Property Management.)
1998-2004 Deputy Head, Head of Division, Deputy Head of the Department for Regulatory and Methodological Support of the Ministry of Property Relations of the Russian Federation
2004-2005 Deputy Director of the Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation
2005-2012 Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency
2012-2015 Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Infrastructure of the Government of the Russian Federation
2015 Head of the Federal Transportation Inspection Service
2015-2018 First Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
2018-2020 Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
From 2020 General Director of JSC "GTLK"
Awarded with
• Order of Alexander Nevsky
• Order of Honour
• Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation
• Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
• Award pin "Honored Worker of Transport of Russia"
• Other institutional awards

Viktor Evtukhov

State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation

Education:
1993 – Leningrad Finance and Economics Institute with a major in economic cybernetics.
2002 – Saint Petersburg State University, Faculty of Law.
2004 – Master’s degree from Saint Petersburg State University, Faculty of International Relations.
2003 – Defended his post-graduate dissertation and granted the degree of candidate of economic sciences.
2008 – International Management Institute of St Petersburg (IMISP) under the Masters of Business Administration programme.
Professional experience:
1998 – Elected deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg (second convocation) for the 33rd Electoral District (Moskovsky District) and was twice re-elected in 2002 and 2007.
2009 – Appointed member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation – Representative in the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the Government of St. Petersburg; representative of Saint Petersburg State University in the government and administrative bodies of the Russian Federation.
2011 – Appointed Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation.
2012 – Appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
2014 – Appointed State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation under an order of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Andrey Kutepov

Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Senator of the Russian Federation - representative from the legislative (representative) body of state power of St. Petersburg in the Federation Council, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy
Born on April 6, 1971, Leningrad
Education:
2002 - St. Petersburg Institute of Foreign Economic Relations, Economics and Law (manager);
2015 - Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Master's degree);
2007 - Northwest Academy of Public Administration (lawyer).
He was awarded the Order of Honor, the Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree. Has a commendation from the Government of the Russian Federation (2018) and a Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation (2021).
Married. Has three children.

Kirill Lipa

General Director, Transmashholding

Kirill Lipa - born on July 24, 1971 in Moscow, graduated from the Moscow State Law Academy in 1994.
Since 2015 Kirill Lipa has been the CEO of JSC Transmashholding, one of the world leaders in the development and production of rolling stock for mainline and urban rail transport.
Chairman of the Committee for Transport Machine Building to the Russian Engineering Union.
Chairman of the Expert Council for Transport Machine Building Development to the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade.
Awarded with the Honorary Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation for achievements in creating advanced models of rolling stock for mainline and urban rail transport.
Awarded with the M.T. Kalashnikov Medal of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade for outstanding achievements in the sphere of industry.

Alexey Rakhmanov

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, United Shipbuilding Corporation

Alexey Rakhmanov was born on July 18, 1964. In 1986 he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 2003 he graduated from the School of Business at the University of Chicago with a degree of Master of Business Administration. In the early stages of his career, he held various positions in the public and private entities. In 1996 he joined international auditing and consulting firm Ernst & Young where he worked until 2002. Between 2002 and 2008 he served as Director for Strategy and Business Development at JSC Severstal-Auto. In July 2008 he was appointed Director of the Department of Automotive Industry and Agricultural Machinery at Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, and in March 2012 – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. Since June 2014 he has been President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation.
Alexey Rakhmanov is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SPbSMTU), Chairman of the Shipbuilding Industry and Marine Equipment Committee of the Russian Engineering Union, Member of the Russian Engineering Union Management Board.

Vyacheslav Ruksha

Deputy Director General – Director for the Northern Sea Route Directorate, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM

Born on 17 February 1954. In 1976 he graduated from the Leningrad ‘Order of the October Revolution’ Higher Engineering Marine School named after Adm. S. O. Makarov. He held the positions of adviser to the president of OAO Russian Railways, head of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, first Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, and General Director of OAO Murmansk Shipping Company. Since the establishment of FGUP Atomflot in 2008 and its merger with the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM, he has been the enterprise’s General Director. On 24 July 2018, he was appointed Deputy Director General and Head of the Directorate for the Northern Sea Route, ROSATOM.

Alexander Tsybulskiy

Governor of Arkhangelsk Region

Born on July 15, 1979 in Moscow.
Education:
Graduated from the Military University attached to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2001.
Graduated from the Moscow Institute of International Business in 2006.
Fluent in English, Greek and French.
Work experience:
1996-2005: Military service.
2005-2008: Worked in various positions at the Department of Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry
of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation.
2008-2011: Worked in various positions аt the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.
2011-2013: Director of the Department of International Relations and Development of Cross-Border Cooperation, Director of the Department for the Coordination of State Industry Programs, Ministry
of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.
2013-2014: Aide to the Minister, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Director of the Department for Interaction with Customs Union Authorities and Economic Cooperation with CIS Countries, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
2014-2017: Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Since September 2017 - Acting Governor of Nenets Autonomous Area.
On October 1, 2018, assumed the post of Governor of the Nenets Autonomous Area.
From April 3, 2020 - Acting Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region.
From October 8, 2020 - Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region.