On 23 January 2018, during the World Economic Forum, Russia’s official residence in Davos – the Russia House – will be opened. The project serves as a platform for promoting Russian initiatives among the representatives of international business and official circles who get together in Davos, Switzerland (23–26 January 2018). Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich will lead the official delegation of the Russian government in 2018.
As in previous years, the Russia House in Davos will attract World Economic Forum guests and participants with its highly topical business programme, covering the urgent issues of contemporary global development, and will also present the successful experience of Russia’s dialogue with the international community. The organizer of the Russia House in Davos, the Roscongress Foundation, has prepared a functional multi-format space for the Forum’s extensive business agenda.
The first day of the Russia House operation will be devoted to information technology. The panel discussion ‘Update on IT in Russia’ will be attended by Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia Nikolai Nikiforov and the heads of major IT companies. Andrei Kuzyaev, President of AO ER-Telecom Holding, Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky and others will discuss a broad range of issues, from blockchain and FinTech to cyber security and smart city technologies.
On the second day, the heads of fuel and energy companies will meet to talk about Russia’s competitiveness on the global energy market. NOVATEK CEO Leonid Mikhelson, LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov, Ramesh Abhishek, head of India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, ABB Group CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer and other participants will consider the development potential of the Russian fuel and energy sector, as well as further steps to promote cooperation in today’s fragmented world.
On 25 January, day three of the Russia House operation, the panel discussion ‘Russia–USA bilateral relations one year on’ will be held in Davos with the support of the US–Russia Business Council (USRBC). Relations between Russia and the US over the past year have been described, to varying degrees, as “complicated”. What could serve as a foundation for improving relations, and what steps should the leaders of Russia and the US take to strengthen mutual trust? How can business play a role in improving relations? These and other issues will be on the agenda.
The prime information partner of the Russia House in Davos at the 48th World Economic Forum will be the TASS Russian News Agency. The agency’s Director General Sergey Michailov will take part in the panel discussion ‘The future of truth’ focusing on the problems of misinformation and its consequences.
The Russia House project in Davos also includes the photo exhibition ‘Charity through the Lens’, organized jointly by the Roscongress Foundation and the Donors Forum. Six years ago, the Donors Forum announced the ‘Charity through the Lens’ competition for the first time, seeking to attract the attention of society, the authorities and the media to the challenging yet very important work of the people who, every day, endeavour to change this world for the better. Throughout the six years, over 700 such photo stories have featured in the contest. The best of them will be shown at the current exhibition. Development of new approaches to social investment and charity, as well as their positive influence on society and business, will be the subject of a separate session of the Russia House in Davos.
A full version of the programme is available on the official site.
Roscongress Foundation – a major organizer of congress and exhibition events
The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential and strengthening the country’s image by organizing conventions, exhibitions, and public events. The Foundation develops substantive content for such events, providing companies and organizations with advice, information, and expert guidance, and offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis, and coverage of the Russian and global economic agendas. It offers administrative services and promotional support for business projects and helps to attract investment, including in the form of public-private partnerships.
Today, its annual programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok, offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, and government officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and the promotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise and charity projects.