OREANDA-NEWS. June 15, 2012. The Russia-ASEAN Business Council has had a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia (CCI of Russia).

The agenda included the election of the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee – Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council and Council Deputy Chairmen, the endorsement of the Council Executive Director and the approval of the Council work plan 2012 and the meeting resolution.

CCI of Russia Vice-President Georgy Petrov, CCI of Russia Foreign Economic Cooperation Department Director Sergey Vasilyev and executives of Russian enterprises and companies attended the meeting.

Georgy Petrov, who opened and chaired the meeting, noted the need for accelerated contacts with ASEAN countries. While Russia’s trade with Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines has gained sustainable dynamics, relations with Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have not reached the desired level.  In the context of Russian Far East and Siberia development plans, cooperation with ASEAN countries acquires special significance, Georgy Petrov said, adding that was emphasized at the recent bilateral business forums attended by the Russian president. Bilateral business councils have been formed on the CCI of Russia floor with a number of regional countries – Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines – and they are functioning successfully, but not it is time to create a business council with all the ten countries of the region.

Georgy Petrov lauded the Russia-ASEAN Business Council development concept and said its fulfillment within the CCI of Russia framework was facilitated with the membership of all chambers of commerce and industry of ASEAN countries in the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), which had long had the most amicable relationship with the CCI of Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry Asia and Pacific Cooperation Department Deputy Director Andrei Lyamin stressed the topicality of the establishment of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council in his speech. The latest bilateral business summits added new value to the priorities of economic development of the Far East and Siberia set by the national administration, he said. The strengthening of the Russian position in the Asia Pacific region and the involvement of the country’s eastern regions in Asia Pacific integration processes will have the best possible effect on the national economic development at large. Amid the high level of Russia-ASEAN contacts, the development of cooperation needs a serious boost, he said.

The Russian Economic Development Ministry has drafted a roadmap of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries, and its adoption is due in August 2012. The Russian entry into the WTO and the formation of the common customs space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will create possibilities of a new quality for Russia-ASEAN contacts. Trade liberalization techniques are being tested in the relations with Vietnam and New Zealand. If the experience proves successful, it will apply to all the countries of the region, Andrei Lyamin said.

In the words of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s MGIMO University ASEAN Center Director Viktor Sumskoy, the center concentrates on the collection of analytical material about ASEAN countries, support to business contacts and promotion of humanitarian exchanges between Russia and regional countries. The center maintains close relations with the departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Economic Development Ministry and the Russian Foreign Affairs Council.

Georgy Petrov proposed to elect Yegor Khramov as the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee – Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council, and to make his deputies GK Morton Southeast Asia division manager Andrei Karev and foreign economic cooperation department senior expert Alexander Starkov.

GK Morton Vice-President Yegor Khramov told the audience about four main areas of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council development concept – economy and investments; technologies; social affairs and culture; and politics. The economic and investment block includes the promotion of direct contacts between businessmen, economic monitoring of ASEAN countries, databases of investment projects and other information, opening of business clubs and holding of theme events both bilateral and regional, selection of partners for particular projects and many other activities, Yegor Khramov remarked. In conclusion, he proposed to endorse as the Russia-ASEAN Business Council Executive Director Viktor Tarusin, Director and member of the Board of Directors of the JSC ARM Group, and to approve basically the draft work plan of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council for 2012.

CCI of Russia Foreign Economic Cooperation Department Director Sergey Vasilyev proposed to make Council members permanent participants of intergovernmental commissions with the countries, which had not formed bilateral business councils.

Summarizing the meeting results, Georgy Petrov offered participants to make proposals with regard to the work plan 2012 to the Russia-ASEAN Business Council Executive Director within two weeks.

After having elected the Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council and his deputies and endorsed the Council Executive Director, the meeting participants basically approved the Russia-ASEAN Business Council work plan 2012 and the meeting resolution. The list of bilateral projects will be made and approved for further coordination with foreign partners and the membership base of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council will be formed by the next meeting.