IX Joint Meeting of Russian-Arab Business Council

The ninth session of the Russian-Arab Business Council took place on 7-9^th June 2010 in the International Exhibition Center ‘Crocus-Expo’ in Moscow. The main events of the business program within the session included the Joint Plenary Meeting of the Russian-Arab Business Council, the meetings of the bilateral Business Councils and the sittings of the Business-Interest Sections as well as the meetings of the Russian Federation and Arab States business community representatives.

The officials of the Russian Ministries and Offices, the representatives of the Russia and Arab countries’ business community including the Jordan, Iraq, Morocco and Bahrain representative delegations as well as Yemen, Tunis, Palestine and other countries’ delegations participated in the Joint Meeting of the Russian-Arab Business Council. Head of the Arab League Mission in Moscow Jumaa Al-Fergani, the Arab States’ Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Moscow, the diplomatic missions’ representatives also attended the Forum.

Chairman of the Russian-Arab Business Council Mr. V.P. Evtushenko in his opening speech at the ninth Joint Plenary Meeting of the Russian-Arab Business Council greeted the Forum guests and emphasized that the development of the Russian and Arab States cooperation kept up very good dynamics. ‘Thus, the Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev paid an official visit to Syria in May this year and to Egypt in June last year. Russia is continuing to adhere to the policy of expansion of the active and close cooperation with Arab States. We would like the dialogue of the Russian Federation and the Arab States business community to keep up with the political activity of our states’ leaders,’ – stressed the Chairman of the Russian-Arab Business Council.

Then the Russian Federation Executive Agent in the Middle East, Deputy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr.A.V.Saltanov read the Russian Federation Prime Minister Mr.V.V.Putin’s Welcoming Address to the participants of the meeting. In the Speech it was particularly emphasized that ‘so representative events within the dialogue with Arab States have already become a good tradition. It indicates mutual interest in building up and strengthening of the trade and economic, scientific and technical, investment cooperation, carrying out large joint projects in energy, industry, high tech, infrastructure and agriculture.’

According to Russia’s Executive Agent in the Middle East Mr.A.V.Saltanov, the development of the trade and economic cooperation with Arab States was and remains a priority direction in Russia.

After that President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Mr.E.M.Primakov took the floor. He claimed that the Russian-Arab cooperation must be developed not only at the intergovernmental level but also at the private industry level as well as in individual regions. Mr.E.M.Primakov noted that in spite of the fact that the volume of commercial transactions between Russia and Arab countries had been increasing and was $10 milliard in 2009 as against $6 milliard in preceding year; this growth was still not high enough.

Mr.E.M.Primakov emphasized that Russia encouraged the development of the cooperation between Arab States and China, European countries and India, but this upgrowth must not be achieved at the expense of mutual relations with Russia.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry also reminded that, according to the Russian economist Kondratev’s theory, every finished with a crisis global economic cycle leads to a transition to a new level of technology. In this connection he expressed confidence that cooperation between Russia and Arab countries must be in the area of the raw materials production and energy carriers and in the field of new high-technology productions development as well.

Finally, the floor for the welcoming statements was given to the Forum guests – Minister of State of Lebanon Adnan Kassar, President of the General Union of the Arab States’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Director of the Arab League Research and Strategic Relationship Department Tamir Al-Ani, Director General of UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade Abdullah Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Senator Nael Al-Kabariti. The distinguished guests gave an appraisal of the current state of the Russian-Arab interactions and expressed their approval for the efforts made by the Russian-Arab Business Council in order to promote business contacts and to advance the exhibition ‘Arabia-EXPO’.