HARBIN, June 29, /ITAR-TASS/. Russia plans to develop potential of its Far Eastern regions through involving investors from Asia Pacific countries to concrete regional development projects, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Sunday.
“In the recent years, Russia has been carrying out large-scale modernization of its economy. International industrial and scientific cooperation plays a serious role in this process,” he said. “Systemic efforts are being taken at all levels to improve the business environment, to create comfortable conditions for foreign companies. We will take active efforts to develop potential of our Far East through involving investors from countries of the Asia Pacific region and from other parts of the world into concrete cooperation projects of the regional development programmes.”
Delivering a greeting speech before a gala concert on the occasion of the opening of the first Russian-Chinese EXPO, Rogozin noted that “it will be possible to learn first-hand information about many of such projects from representatives of many of the Russian regions who have come to take part in our exhibition.”
According to the Russian deputy prime minister, the Russian delegation to the exhibition was very representative - heads of 12 federal agencies and more than 30 Russian regions, representatives from leading state corporations, such as Roschec, Rusal, United Aircraft Corporation, Inter RAO.
“Together with our Chinese colleagues, we have did our best to make the EXPO maximum close to practical interests of Russian and Chinese business communities,” he said. “Regions, companies and products enjoying high popularity on the markets of our countries will be exhibited at the EXPO. The business programme includes 13 key events: panel session, roundtable meetings, presentations.” Numerous events, in his words, will be dedicated to concrete subjects, such as the development of electronic trade, pharmaceutical sector, biotechnologies, the precious metals market.
Within the framework of the Russian-Chinese EXPO, an exhibition of photographs made by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will be held. It will feature 19 photos made during his working trips around Russia and his foreign visits, including to China.
“I am sure the Russian-Chinese EXPO will be a convenient format for international communications, for making long-term business contacts, for exchange of ideas and experience. It will help strengthen trade-and-economic and humanitarian ties,” Rogozin stressed.
“This is the first such experience for our two countries in organizing such a large-scale exhibition and congress event,” he said, adding that the Russian-Chinese EXPO was an example of “joint organizational work as equal partners.” “The Russian-Chinese EXPO is a vivid symbol of partner, trust-based relations of comprehensive strategic cooperation between our countries. This event is practical evidence proving commitment to the development of long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas,” he said.
The Russia-Chinese EXPO was established on the basis of the Harbin International Trade Fair that was successfully held in 1990-2013. In 2013, the fair was visited by about 300,000 specialists from 75 world nations. About 1,900 foreign and Chinese companies took part in that fair, which organized more than 80 business events. Delegations from 74 Russian regions took part. The two countries signed contracts worth 8.69 billion U.S. dollars, or 79% of the entire sum of contracts concluded during the fair. In October 2013, the Harbin International Trade Fair was renamed the Russia-Chinese EXPO.