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On March 23, 2023, President of the RSPP Alexander Shokhin met with the President of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Dawood Al-Shezawi, following which a cooperation agreement was signed.
Alexander Shokhin and Dawood Al-Shezawi exchanged views on the development of investment cooperation between Russia and the UAE and promising cooperation formats of the organizations they lead, including assistance in ensuring the participation of delegations in international forums and exhibition and fair events in both countries.
Alexander Shokhin noted that the international activities of the RSPP, despite geopolitics, are still a priority. "RSPP is a leader in B2B cooperation with international partners in many areas and has been coordinating the activities of Russian business in the Business Twenty (B20) for 10 years. Also in 2023, we will chair the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union. We have many bilateral structures – councils of business cooperation, committees for cooperation with friendly countries," the President of the RSPP added.
Alexander Shokhin named the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held on June 14-17 in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation) and within the framework of the business program of which the RSPP traditionally conducts bilateral business dialogues with partner countries, as well as a meeting of the President of Russia with the heads of leading foreign companies. He also mentioned the international forum-exhibition "Russian Industrialist" (November 28-30, 2023) and INNOPROM (July 10-13, 2023). "These events will welcome UAE business representatives," said the head of the RSPP.
Alexander Shokhin also mentioned that RSPP is ready to enter events outside Russia and promote the interests of Russian companies there, stressing the importance of cooperation with the Emirati side. "The RSPP considers the Annual Investment Meeting as a transnational platform for promoting business in Russia and other countries."
The main events of the Annual Investment Meeting will take place on May 8-10, 2023 in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and the RSPP expresses its readiness to attract Russian companies to participate in the events of the forum. In turn, the RSPP would like to see traditional and digital companies at the forum, especially in the field of IT and artificial intelligence.
The RSPP President also mentioned that Russia is ready to develop cooperation with the UAE not only in the business sphere, but also in the field of education. "A week earlier, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valery Falkov visited Abu Dhabi with a delegation of 7 rectors of leading Russian universities. The Russian side plans to open a campus of Russian universities in the UAE to train personnel for Russian-Emirati cooperation, as well as specialists in key areas like finance, engineering, congress and exhibition activities and many others," he said.
In his turn, Dawud Al-Shezawi thanked A. Shokhin for the invitation and warm welcome. "The UAE and Russia have a long-standing relationship that dates back more than 50 years. We highly appreciate the role of the RSPP in promoting the interests of Russian business in our region. During our visit to Russia, we got acquainted with the achievements of Russian science in various fields. We are aware that the UAE is becoming the center of attraction for many companies, including those Russian companies that have international weight," the AIM President said.
He also noted that in 2023, more than 15 thousand investors from various countries, as well as representatives of authorities from 73 states are planning to take part in the Annual Investment Meeting. "This will provide an opportunity for the RSPP to build bridges and discuss issues of interest," Al-Shezawi added. Also, an exhibition is planned within the framework of the event, during which an opportunity will be provided to get acquainted with the achievements of various companies from around the world.
This year, the events will be held in an expanded format and, according to D. Al-Shezawi, great opportunities will open up for Russian business. "More than 65 ministers of economy plan to take part in the forum. It is also planned to focus on the participation of African, Latin American and Asian States within the framework of the forum. It is expected that representatives of Russian business will take an active part in the investment forum. Russian companies will have the opportunity to establish close business ties and discuss issues that interest Russian businessmen," he added.
At the end of the negotiations, Alexander Shokhin and Daoud Al-Shezawi signed a cooperation agreement between the RSPP and AIM, which will serve as an incentive not only for the formalization of cooperation, but also for the practical development and strengthening of ties between the two organizations.