OREANDA-NEWS. March 03, 2011. Sergei Karpenko, Sakhalin Regional Economic Development Minister, and Denis Gorin, Managing Partner of PwC office in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, met to sign a cooperation of agreement to work together on initiatives aimed at fostering a favourable economic, investment and social climate in the Sakhalin Region, reported the press-centre of PwC.

Even though Moscow and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are 10,417 kilometres apart, PwC Russia has been active on Sakhalin for more than 15 years and looks upon the further strengthening of its partnership with the regional administration as one of the firm’s highest priorities.

 Denis Gorin noted:
“The fundamental goal of our future collaboration with Sakhalin’s regional administration is to foster a favourable climate for the social and economic development of this important region. This will largely depend on the success of a number of major investment projects over the next few years, and we’re confident that our specialists’ extensive experience working on Sakhalin-based projects could be a tremendous resource for the regional administration’s efforts to bring in more international investments. Our cooperation includes both advisory support on a wide range of business issues as well as educational support.”

Tatyana Panfilova, head of PwC’s Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk office, commented:
“We plan to expand our presence in the Sakhalin Region and are looking to increase our project activity not only in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk but in other cities of the Russian Far East as well.”

Also present at the meeting was Sergei Hotochkin, Deputy Head of the Regional Administration, who noted:

“We have already laid considerable groundwork in reaching out to foreign investors and building an investment infrastructure. Thanks to our joint efforts, it is my sincere hope that we can widen the circle of investors and expand the range of investment opportunities.”

Under the newly signed agreement, PwC will advise the regional authorities on questions involving the Sakhalin Region’s Social and Economic Development Strategy and will also collaborate in efforts to bolster the region’s investment appeal among both the Russian and international business communities.  As well, PwC will provide critical advisory support for drafting a region-wide programme aimed at fostering a favourable investment climate on Sakhalin.

In addition, PwC will help organise a public servants’ training programme for the executive branch of the Sakhalin regional administration that will bring in instructors from leading business schools both in Russia and internationally. The programme will offer internships in PwC Russia’s offices for graduates of the region’s universities.

Sakhalin is a dynamically growing part of Russia and serves as the country’s bridge to the greater Asia-Pacific region. It is the only region of Russia that is located entirely on islands. The islands’ advantageous geographic location and their significant natural resource potential help create a favourable environment for the region’s economic development as well as for business partnerships with companies from many countries. The region is now host to a number of large-scale investment projects that have introduced advanced technical solutions.

PwC has been working on the Russian market since 1989, and has grown to become one of the largest audit and consulting services provider in Russia. More than 2,000 people work in PwC offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladikavkaz, Yuzno-Sakhalinsk, Kazan and Yekaterinburg.