OREANDA-NEWS. February 06, 2009. The Planning meeting of the Russia-Nigeria Business Council (RNBC) took place in the CCI of Russia. The meeting was assisted by the representatives of Russian business and scientific communities, the MFA of Russia, and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Russia, reported the press-centre of Tractor Plants Holding.

When opening the meeting the director of the International Cooperation Department of CCI of Russia mentioned the traditional friendly character of the relations between Russia and Nigeria. An active political dialogue is supported between two countries.

According to him the directions of development of our trade and economic cooperation have a great potential for growth. Within this context there was emphasized an important role of the RNBC in the matter of consolidation of efforts of Russian business communities, including representatives of the small and medium business that is interested in the Nigerian market.  

Georgi Chepik, the head of the Russian MFA African Department emphasized in his statement that the RNBC is called to help forward the development of the trade and economic constituent of the bilateral relations, which is behind the available potential. At that he ascertained the resolve for the external relations diversification of the present governing body of Nigeria, which is one of three largest economics in Africa.

Maxim Golikov, the director of the Middle East and African Countries Section of the External Economic Relations Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Russia, urged the RNBC to be actively involved in the preparation of the third meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian and Nigerian mixed commission on economic, scientific and technological cooperation, which is planned to be carried out in April of the current year. In his opinion the progress in work on the perfection of the contractual basis of the bilateral relations, the Nigerian business circles resolve to stir up cooperation with the Russian partners establishes favorable conditions for further development of the bilateral business cooperation.

Albert Bakov, the first vice-president of "Tractor Plants Holding", was elected as the head of RNBC. In his statement he briefly described the main lines of activity of RNBC for the near-term outlook.

Irina Ruzankina, the chief expert of the CCI Department of international relations, was elected as the vice-chairman of the RNBC, Gella Naminova, who is the head of the department of strategic communications of "Tractor Plants Holding", was approved as the chief executive of the RNBC.

The meeting demonstrated the growing interest in the development of partnership with Nigeria. Following the results of the meeting the large-scale Decision was taken.