THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION AS PART OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE 957TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BELARUSIAN CAPITAL WAS ORGANIZED BY THE MINSK BRANCH OF THE BELARUSIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND THE MINSK CITY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON SEPTEMBER 13. THIS YEAR IT BROUGHT TOGETHER GUESTS FROM 29 COUNTRIES AND 22 REGIONS OF RUSSIA TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE POTENTIAL OF MINSK AND DISCUSS PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS.
In 2022, the year of the 955th anniversary of Minsk, the capital of the Republic of Belarus, the tradition of holding the International Forum of Economic Cooperation among the festive events was established. The organizers – the Minsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Minsk City Executive Committee – set themselves the task of gathering in hospitable Minsk not only guests of the solemn anniversary events, but also representatives of government and non-governmental organizations, chambers of commerce and industry, holdings and companies interested in establishing and expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation with the businesses of Minsk.
Back then, the event was held at the National Library of Belarus and brought together representatives from 21 countries. Presentation of the investment potential of the Belarusian capital, exchange of practical experience in organizing small and medium-sized businesses, discussion of the opportunities for technological and social interaction in the context of creating a development economy – all this was on the agenda and, according to the organizers and participants, was successfully implemented. Still, a goal remained – to make the event traditional, timed to the City Day, to gather more participants every year, discuss topical issues, and establish new contacts for cooperation.
This year's International Forum of Economic Cooperation was held on September 13. The event was attended by heads of city administrations, business associations, owners and top managers of large companies interested in establishing and expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation, representatives of organizations of various forms of ownership. In total, 29 countries of the near and far abroad were represented at the forum, as well as 22 regions of Russia.
Sergey Nabeshko, General Director of the Minsk Branch of the BelCCI, ensured the effective conduct of the forum as a moderator. In addition, the opening of the forum was marked by welcoming speeches by Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Mikhael Miatlikov, Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vladimir Platonov, President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Aibek Dzhunushaliev, Mayor of Bishkek, and Alexey Orlov, Head of Yekaterinburg.
"Everyone who participates in the forum – be they representatives of business community, diplomatic corps, or companies – are the individuals who have come with economic interests," Sergey Nabeshko emphasized. "We are pleased with the results, because even before the forum began, representatives of delegations had reported on its platform about the discussion of specific contracts and agreements with partners. The areas of interest are different: food products, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, woodworking, mechanical engineering, waste recycling, etc."
The speakers of the International Forum of Economic Cooperation noted that over the three years of its existence it has become an established event, demonstrating the high interest of various countries and cities of the world in cooperation with the Belarusian capital and its companies, with the number of participants increasing every year. "We are open to discuss issues related to the development of business contacts and the search for new areas of interaction. We are sincerely interested in developing trade, economic and investment cooperation, strengthening business ties, promoting goods and services to new markets" said Mikhael Miatlikov, the Chairman of the BelCCI. He emphasized that international business forums, business matchmaking sessions and trade fairs organized jointly with partners from other countries contribute to the implementation of joint projects that bring tangible results. "I am sure that within the framework of this forum, foreign participants will have the opportunity to work productively, get acquainted with the enterprises of the capital, and taste Belarusian products. I hope that each participant of the forum will find new opportunities and note the advantages of cooperation with Minsk and the country as a whole. Our capital is a dynamically developing city, open to new ideas and projects," the Chairman of the BelCCI said.
In turn, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev emphasized that the International Forum of Economic Cooperation in Minsk facilitates the conclusion of mutually beneficial agreements. "The annual holding of this economic forum has proved to be productive. We see from the analysis of information from enterprises and organizations that the forum is effective, as business representatives can communicate and exchange contacts on this platform. This subsequently leads to mutually beneficial agreements," he said. "The increasing number of participants suggests that the forum platform is becoming more and more interesting. New industry proposals appear every year, which, I think, will become more voluminous and cover more and more areas. The task of such events is to find common ground, to provide an opportunity for communication and discussion. The main thing in the modern world is the development of communication, and our forum is exactly the communication platform that allows us to solve many problems," the Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee said.
Bishkek Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev emphasized the long history of mutually beneficial cooperation between the capitals of Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, which began with the signing of a bilateral agreement in 1997: "Our cooperation covers a lot in the economy – from industry to the exchange of experience in urban processes managing. Bishkek strives to become a more environmentally friendly city, and Minsk's experience has become the basis for us. Belarusian goods are in demand and widely represented here. These are food products, consumer goods. Our utilities use the equipment produced in Belarus. All this has become possible thanks to participation in economic forums."
During the opening of the forum the key areas of cooperation between the Penza region of Russia and the regions of the Republic of Belarus were presented, prospects for the development of technoparks as a subject of innovation infrastructure were demonstrated, and the opportunities of the Free Economic Zone "Minsk" for business were presented.
Since the task of the forum is not only speeches, but also real business contacts, the program did not end with the plenary session. Participants considered specific initiatives, problematic issues and possible ways to resolve them during thematic sessions, such as "Strategic Priorities for Economic Development", "Investments, Innovations and Opportunities", "Prospects for the Development of Industrial Parks, Technoparks and FEZs of Russia and Belarus, Their Role in Building Economic and Technological Independence".
Representatives of Belarusian enterprises had the opportunity to discuss the practical nuances of existing and future partnerships with foreign colleagues during bilateral meetings, of which there were more than 200. Many negotiations continued at production sites in Minsk and Minsk region.
The forum also included B2G meetings and small-talk negotiations with representatives of Belarusian and foreign businesses and government agencies.
In addition, the International Forum of Economic Cooperation, held as part of the celebration of the 957th anniversary of Minsk, provided guests with the opportunity to get acquainted with the rich culture of Belarus, taste traditional dishes and get to know the products of famous Belarusian trademarks and brands presented in the trading house "Pershy".
The results of the events held are contacts and cooperation agreements, and new partnerships. Some of them were already documented during the forum, and it should be noted that their number is increasing every year. In particular, several framework cooperation agreements were signed at the forum, including between the Minsk City Executive Committee and the Administration of the Penza Region of Russia, between the Minsk City Technopark and the Russian JSC "Technopolis "Khimgrad", between the National Agency of Investment and Privatization of Belarus and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
There is more to come. The organizers of the International Forum of Economic Cooperation in Minsk set themselves even more ambitious goals for forming the program for the next event, the geography of the participating countries, increasing business interest and the number of specific partnership projects based on the results of the event.
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