On October 30, in Astrakhan the 21st meeting of the International Business Cooperation Council of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Caspian Region Countries, “Business Caspian: New Challenges and Unique Opportunities for Economic Growth in the Caspian Region,” was held.
It was attended by over 150 representatives of chambers of commerce and industry, government agencies, and businessmen from the Caspian “five” countries.
Three round tables were held on the topic:
- “Expanding cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry of the Caspian region countries is the most important tool in developing the North-South ITC,”
- “Features of financial settlements for foreign trade transactions with Asian and Middle Eastern countries in modern conditions,”
- “Activating cooperation between the Caspian countries in the field of tourism against the backdrop of modernizing the region’s transport system.”
Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Vladimir Padalko moderated the section on financial settlements, during which the participants discussed in which currencies and how to make settlements with counterparties, how to make non-monetary settlements with non-residents, what are the current changes in the field of currency regulation and currency control, etc.
The plenary session of "Business Caspian" was opened by Stanislav Sinchenko, President of the Union "Astrakhan Chamber of Commerce and Industry". The participants of the meeting were greeted by the Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin and the Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Astrakhan Mehdi Akuchekian.
From the Russian side, reports on economic cooperation with the countries of the "five" were made by Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Vladimir Padalko, Director of the Institute for the Development of Integration Processes of the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Andrei Tochin, General Director of the International Export Promotion Agency IEXPA Yuri Shurygin.
Vladimir Padalko noted that "we have created a good basis for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. We are actively working with the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan - NCE RK "Atameken", the CCI of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the CCI of Mines and Agriculture of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as with the Joint Iran-Russia Chamber of Commerce. Business councils have been created with all Caspian countries.
An Iranian delegation recently visited Moscow and took an active part in the BRICS business forum.
Despite objective difficulties, we have held a large number of joint events (over 360 since 2022) aimed at developing business contacts, promoting investment projects, and finding new areas of cooperation."
Tizkhush Taban Hadi, President of the Joint Iran-Russia Chamber of Commerce; Leonid Lozhechko, Chairman of the Russian-Iranian Business Council; Maria Suvorovskaya, Honorary Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Azerbaijan; Vladimir Obydenov, Honorary Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as representatives of business circles of Russia, Iran and Turkmenistan.
During the speeches, it was noted that there is great potential in the field of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Caspian basin. There are prerequisites for increasing cooperation in almost all areas.
Modernization of the region's transport system is intended to give a significant impetus to the development of the economy of the entire region. It was noted that it is necessary to improve the automobile and railway infrastructure, it is necessary to strengthen interactions between the customs authorities of the countries of the region.
Among the problems of concern to business, difficulties in mutual settlements were noted.
During the speeches, it was noted that the chambers of commerce and industry play a major role in expanding contacts between the business circles of the Caspian countries. The parties agreed to intensify the exchange of information on promising investment projects for cooperation, on the conditions for doing business in the countries of the region and measures to support entrepreneurial activity, to promote the involvement of companies from the countries of the region in cooperation in the territory of free economic zones, to continue work on holding joint congress and exhibition events and business missions.
At the end of the meeting, b2b negotiations took place, as well as a visit to enterprises of the Astrakhan region LLC "Vtoroe Dykhanie", SEZ "Lotus", etc.
Department of External Relations
