subscribe to news Sergey Katyrin meets representatives of foreign business circles

The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a meeting between its President Sergey Katyrin and representatives of the business community of foreign countries.

The event was dedicated to the most relevant issues of foreign economic activity and interaction of foreign entrepreneurs with Russian partners.

The moderator was Vladimir Padalko, Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In his opening remarks, the Chamber’s President noted that the meeting was taking place on the eve of the Congress of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which will be held on November 13, 2025 at the World Trade Center.

“We would like to hear your wishes, because the Congress will adopt the Chamber's program of activities for the next five years. It is important for us to know your point of view on which areas should be included in the work and what to focus on in the coming years,” emphasized Sergey Katyrin.

He informed the audience that the Chamber’s system currently involves 57,000 legal entities in Russia. There are also 130 regional chambers. The combined network of representative offices covers more than 350 points of presence. In addition, the Chamber has representative offices in 40 countries around the world, which helps strengthen international business ties.

“The main thing for us now is to preserve and enhance the relations that have developed with our foreign colleagues. We strive to deepen cooperation with all countries, regardless of political circumstances,” added the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Maxim Fateev, General Director of EXPOCENTRE, delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of trade shows as one of the key areas of international cooperation.

“Despite the recent difficulties, including those caused by the sanctions policies of a number of countries, the Russian exhibition market is alive and well. Moreover, there is a steady upward trend,” he said.

According to the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs, the total exhibition area and the number of participating companies increased by 28% in 2024 compared to 2022. 

“I would especially like to note the almost threefold increase in the number of foreign participants who use participation in trade shows in Russia as an effective tool for promotion of their goods and services,” emphasized Maxim Fateev.

He mentioned that EXPOCENTRE is Russia's leading exhibition organiser, established by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry more than 65 years ago, and it is still an integral part of its system.

“Every year EXPOCENTRE holds 26 major trade shows in Moscow, covering key sectors of the economy. Due to the repurposing of EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds, all shows have been transferred to other Moscow venues (Crocus Expo, VDNKH and Timiryazev Centre) since September and are held on traditional dates. Currently, together with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we are working on the topic of construction of a new modern international venue in Moscow,” said Maxim Fateev.

Vadim Chubarov, Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke, in particular, about the activities of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and stressed that international cooperation in the arbitration field is actively developing.

For example, he pointed out that in 2021-2025, representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry participate in the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Cooperation agreements have been signed between the International Commercial Arbitration Court and the arbitration centres of China, India, Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkiye.

According to Vadim Chubarov, the number of international cases that are being processed in the arbitration court at the Chamber is steadily growing, which indicates the confidence of foreign companies in Russian jurisdiction.

There were several participants from the CIS countries. Kubanychbek Osmonbekov, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Russian Federation, spoke about the activities of Kyrgyz companies in Russia in the field of agriculture and tourism, identified problems and suggested possible solutions.

Odil Sangov, a representative of the Dushanbe Excavator Repair Plant in Moscow, touched upon the supply of machinery products between the CIS countries.

Vasily Alpatov, Regional Director in the Russian Federation of the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan, spoke about the need to simplify the migration regime for road carriers in Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.

Svetlana Lunkova, Director of the Business Development Department at IBA-MOSCOW Bank (Azerbaijan), drew attention to the issues of payments in national currencies between Russia and the CIS countries.

In the Asian discussion block, Ke Jin, Deputy Chair of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, raised the issue of customs clearance of Chinese automotive products.

Gao Qi, General Representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, focused on visa and migration formalities for Chinese entrepreneurs.

Anjani Kumar Das, Director for Russia and the CIS at Amoga Globex (India), outlined the issues of payments, logistics, and administrative barriers.

Ravindra Bhattarai, Secretary General of the Organization of Nepalese Entrepreneurs in Russia and the CIS (Nepal), spoke about certification, logistics and financial settlements.

The Middle East and Africa block was opened by Erdem Ajay, Chair of the Association of Russian and Turkish Entrepreneurs, who focused on business insurance, banking services, and logistics.

Uwem Edimo Sampson, Managing Director of the Trailtrans Logistics Group (Nigeria), shared the experience of African entrepreneurs working in Russia and outlined the prospects for expanding business cooperation with the African continent.

Domingo Garcia (Mexico), founder and President of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (CCLAR), spoke on behalf of Latin American countries. He touched upon the relevant issues of the activities of entrepreneurs in the region, as well as export-import transactions with Russian partners.

The final part of the meeting was attended by representatives of the USA and Europe. Robert Agee, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Tadzio Schilling, CEO of the Association of European Businesses, Vincenzo Trani, President of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, and Ulf Schneider, President of the Schneider Group, discussed practical aspects of the work of Western companies in Russia, including taxation, financial risks, visa requirements, and administrative burden.

In his closing remarks, Sergey Katyrin noted that many of the issues raised require further clarification and study with relevant agencies. He stressed that all the proposals will be thoroughly analyzed.

Summing up, Sergey Katyrin noted that despite the withdrawal of a number of foreign companies from the Russian market, many entrepreneurs continue to work in the country, demonstrating resilience and willingness to dialogue.

He also suggested holding such meetings regularly in order to discuss emerging issues and find prompt solutions.

Source: Press Service of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry