Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will attend the plenary session ‘Smart Country. National Strategy’ on October 16 at the 7th Moscow International Forum Open Innovations.

The discussion, dedicated to the issues of progress in the digital economy in Russia and the world, will be aired live by Rossiya 24 TV channel and will feature participating leading Russian and international experts. Those taking part in the plenary session include:

 – Arkady Volozh, co-founder and CEO, Yandex;

– Peter Voser, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ABB Ltd;  

– Ann Cairns, Vice Chairman, Mastercard;

– Dmitry Konov, Chairman of the Management Board, Sibur Holding;

– Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever;

– Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow;

– Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO,  EY.

 This year the Open Innovations Forum is being held on October 15-17 with each of the three days offering a distinct format. The forum will be held at the Skolkovo Techno Park with the participation of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council. The overall forum is subtitled Sources of Digital Breakthrough.

 The forum’s first day is dedicated to the digitalization and upgrading of the education system. The participants will discuss issues connected with the across-the-board introduction of digital technologies and their effect on our lives. They will consider the Lifelong Learning program, discuss investment in the EdTech sector and customisable education. A special focus will be the role of education in raising the general digital literacy of the population and training qualified personnel under current realities since the central figure behind accelerated technological development is a person.

 The agenda of the second day includes the transformation of the business environment and the development of an innovation ecosystem. The discussion will cover the interaction of the authorities, society and business in advanced technologies since technological progress and digitalization offer a variety of new opportunities for each party but also carry certain risks. Among the hottest topics are advanced technologies, corporate innovation, venture investment and many others.

 Special attention will be given to science and technology on the concluding third day of Open Innovations. The forum will discuss fundamental research, investment in research and development, and emerging markets.

 Over 600 speakers from 90 countries will take part in the 2018 forum including people from the US, Great Britain, China, France, and also leading scientists, startup founders, representatives of development institutes, and Russian and international business leaders. Among the speakers are BlaBlaCar co-founder Nicolas Brusson; director of the Institute for Media Innovation, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; head of the MIRALab at the University of Geneva; Nadine social robot inventor Nadia Thalmann; Vera robot inventor Alexander Uraksin; Wafa Games founder Kathy Gong, and other noted experts. Also, a Russian-Chinese forum will be held on the trends in the venture capital markets in the two countries and the issues of setting up joint funds. 

The meeting participants discussed proposals for improving the investment climate, including in customs and tax regulation, and a number of other areas.

Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

We usually meet half way through the autumn at a session of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) in Russia to openly discuss the most pressing issues, the latest trends in global markets and your work in Russia. We also consider the steps that need to be taken to make our cooperation mutually beneficial and long term.

Next year will mark 25 years from the day our council was created. This is quite a long time and actually indicates the FIAC’s effectiveness and its great value both for the Government and, I hope, for business. We are interested in this communication and we always try to support it.

We see that many investors retain interest in our country, which is natural because our economy continues to grow despite the various limitations. This not only includes GDP growth, but also a wide range of economic indicators such as industrial output, freight turnover, fixed investment and exports.

Inflation remains low enough so that macroeconomic stability can be maintained. We value this. The Government’s foreign debt is decreasing. Financial reserves are going up, not down. And, for the first time in several years, we have drafted a budget with a surplus.

True, certain companies have left our market for reasons we are aware of, submitting to political pressure. Others, on the contrary, have become more willing to move more production facilities to Russia. They encourage their suppliers from other countries to do business in Russia and establish contacts with local businesses. All of this has a positive effect on the cost of their products.

The companies that are represented on our council continue to do business in various fields, from mining to the modernisation of the infrastructure. They invest in the development of modern technologies, new technologies, including green technologies; they are pursuing social and educational projects, for which I sincerely thank everyone. It really is very important to us.

More to be posted soon…

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of Government Council Meeting.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Dmitry Medvedev: It is a pleasure to meet with you, Mr Prime Minister. These are our traditional meetings, but you and I have not met for a long period; the last meeting took place in December 2017. Now we hope we will meet soon in Brussels and then in Beijing.

I would like to convey President Putin’s best regards to you. We are having reciprocal years of inter-regional cooperation, which also defines the short-term agenda. I look forward to attending the first China International Import Expo, which will take place in Shanghai.

Let us address a few other issues.

Li Keqiang (via interpreter): Mr Medvedev, I am very glad to meet with you again. Last December, we attended the SCO Heads of Government Council Meeting in Sochi; the memories are still fresh. I remember the wonderful architecture and the resort landscapes, unique beauty.

I would like to take an opportunity and extend an invitation to you. I will be glad to see you during your visit to China in November.

We will also hold a regular meeting of heads of government of China and Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you.

Dmitry Medvedev: “This organisation is the best platform for aligning our national development strategies and trans-border projects. Our intention is to develop our cooperation across all areas. In 2017, Russia’s trade with the SCO member states increased to $120 billion. The positive trend has continued this year.”

Heads of delegations of SCO member states:

Foreign Minister of India Sushma Swaraj;

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakhytzhan Sagintayev;

Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang;

Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev;

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi;

Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev;

Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda;

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov.

Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks at the  SCO Heads of Government Council Meeting

Mr Rasulzoda,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 First of all, I would like to thank our colleagues from Tajikistan for their hospitality and the comfortable working conditions.

We have completed the work in a restricted format. We exchanged opinions on what is necessary to do to update the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. We talked about trade, investment, the digital agenda, high technology, transport, industrial production and energy. It is important to use all our resources to achieve the best results. 

More to be soon…

The Europa building in the capital of Belgium will host the 12^th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be attended by the leaders of 31 European and 18 Asian states as well as Australia and New Zealand.

The heads of state and government will discuss regional and global matters, including how to consolidate the multilateral trade system and inter-regional connectivity, ensure stable development, and promote sociocultural cooperation. The agenda also includes topics related to countering modern challenges and threats, including international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and climate change.

The Russian prime minister will also hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.