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A meeting of the International Council for Cooperation and Investment (ICCI) under the framework of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) was held on 19 September 2018. The event was organized in partnership with the Association of European Businesses (AEB). The meeting was attended by about 50 representatives of international companies investing in the Russian economy, business associations and Russian governmental authorities, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation.
Dr. Alexander Shokhin, RSPP President opened the meeting.
Mr. Frank Schauff, Director General of the Association of European Businesses presented the AEB`s proposals to address excessive regulatory measures and trade barriers.
Mr. Alexis Rodzianko, President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia shared with the participants international companies` concerns over influence of Federal law from 20 December 2017 № 398-FZ on legal persons owning corporate vehicles.
The second part of the meeting was devoted to labour relations involving foreign citizens. Mr. Matthias Schepp, Head of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce proposed measures to mitigate problems related to the new rules for registering foreign citizens in the Russian Federation.
International Council for Cooperation and Investment
The International Council for Cooperation and Investment (ICCI), an advisory body with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) was established in February 2008 as a platform for foreign and Russian businesses dialogue with Russian authorities. The ICCI brings together leading foreign investors in Russia’s economy, business associations and chambers of commerce.
The establishment of the Council was welcomed by Presidential Aide Sergey Prikhodko and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov. The ICCI events have been attended by the Russian Economic Development Minister E. Nabiullina, the First Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister A. Denisov and CEOs of over 70 major companies operating in Russia.
The ICCI is chaired by the RSPP President Alexander Shokhin and co-chaired by the head of the RSPP International Cooperation Committee Viktor Vekselberg and the leaders of national business associations – the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, the Chairman of the Board of the Association of European Businesses, the head of the Japanese Business Club, the Chairman of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce and the Director General of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce.
By now, the ICCI has turned into an important mechanism of Russian and foreign businesses engagement with Russian authorities. On the one hand, the Council provides a platform for coordination of Russian and foreign market players’ efforts aimed at improving business environment in Russia. On the other hand, the Russian government has a partner with consolidated positions on the key issues of foreign companies’ activities in Russia.
Another important goal of the ICCI members is to inform their governments of the trends in Russia’s investment climate and advise them relevant authorities of the members’ agreed position on the key issues of the international agenda.