In recent years, Asian economies have become Russia’s key partners in expanding international economic ties, and Japan is no exception to this trend. Yet bringing trade, economic and investment relations between Russia and Japan to its full potential remains a challenge. What policy prescriptions and private sector steps could unlock a new cycle of deepening bilateral economic cooperation, and what are the development prospects over the medium term? How might the introduction of new incentives for domestic production in Russia create opportunities for Japanese business?
Moderators Andrey Varichev ,
Chief Executive Officer, Management Company METALLOINVEST LLC; Member of the Management Board, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexey Repik ,
President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)
Andrey Varichev
Chief Executive Officer, Management Company METALLOINVEST LLC; Member of the Management Board, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Education: 1991 — Graduated from the aviation and mechanical faculty of Moscow Institute of Aviation Technology named after K. E. Tsiolkovsky (MATI) as aircraft mechanical engineer. Professional experience: From Oct. 2013 CEO of METALLOINVEST Management Company. 06.2009 — 06.2014 CEO of METALLOINVEST Holding Company JSC. Feb. — June 2009 CEO of METALLOINVEST Management Company. 2006 — 2008 Commercial Director of METALLOINVEST Management Company. 2005 — 2006 CEO of Mikhailovsky GOK. 2003 — 2004 First Deputy Sales Director of Ural Steel LLC; from 2004 – Deputy General Director of Ural Steel LLC for commercial matters. 2001 — 2002 Deputy Director and afterwards Export Sales Director at TD NOSTA-OKhMK LLC 1991 — 2001 Held senior positions at a number of Russian iron and steel companies, including ZAO InterUral and NTMK JSC.
Alexey Repik
President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)
Born in Moscow, Russia on 27 August 1979.Graduated from the State University “Higher School of Economics”, Diploma in Economy and Business Administration.Since 1995 in Healthcare and Pharmaceutics.R-Pharm Founder. President of All-Russia Business Association “Delovaya Rossiya” (“Business Russia”), actively participating in the improvement of investment climate in the Russian Federation and the establishment of the regional investment standard.Member of the Economic Council under the President of the Russian Federation.Member of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy.Member of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Head of Commission on Investment Climate.Representative (public ombudsman) of the Commissioner of the Presidential Council on the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs on issues related to the protection of the rights of foreign investors.Board-member and Co-chairman of Committee of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on pharmaceutical and medical industry.Co-Chairman of the National Rating CommitteeMember of the Public Council under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and technologies).Member of the Supervisory Board of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Agency for Strategic Initiatives".
Panellists
Nikita Belykh ,
Governor of the Kirov Region Stanislav Voskresensky ,
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexander Galushka ,
Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Evgeny Dod ,
Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, RusHydro JSC Masahiro Ibi ,
Vice President, Japan Association for Trade with Russia and NIS (ROTOBO) Norihiko Ishiguro ,
Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
Ichiyo Ishikawa ,
Executive Commentator, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Noriaki Koyama ,
Group Executive Vice-President, Fast Retailing Co Ltd Hiroshi Meguro ,
General Director, Mitsui & Co Moscow LLC Konstantin Ryzhkov ,
Director, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Motoi Sasaki ,
Vice-Minister for Infrastructure, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan Sergey Tolstoguzov ,
Director General, RAO Energy Systems of the East
Seiki Fukuda ,
Executive Vice President, Japan Post Co., Ltd Alexander Shokhin ,
President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Sergey Yastrebov ,
Governor of the Yaroslavl Region
Nikita Belykh
Governor of the Kirov Region
Stanislav Voskresensky
Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
In 1998 graduated from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics with a degree in International Economic Relations. 1995-1999 – worked on tax issues in Russian and foreign assurance firms. 1999-2004 – Financial Director for organizations involved in specialized subterranean engineering and construction. 2004-2008 – Deputy Director of the President’s Expert Commission. 2008-2012 – Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 2012-2014 – Deputy Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District. He was responsible for coordinating the efforts of federal authorities in developing Kaliningrad Region. Since August, 19, 2014 – Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. He heads the Russian Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Investment Cooperation. He heads the task force on the advancement of Russia’s economic Interests in the Asia-Pacific region under the Government Commission on Economic Development and Integration.
Alexander Galushka
Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Не was appointed the Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East in September, 2013. Current responsibilities of the Ministry include coordination work on realization of state and targeted federal programmes, federal property management, supervising control over exercise of powers of the Russian Federation by local governmental authorities of federal subjects in the Russian Far East. Alexander Galushka graduated from the Institute of Economy of the Moscow State Social University with a degree in “Economy and labor sociology” and Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. He directed the "Center of Management of Assessment and Consulting" company. From 2010 to 2012 he was the President of the All Russia Public Organization "Business Russia" and was a member of the Governmental commission on questions of social and economic development of the Russian Far East, the Republic of Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai and the Irkutsk region. In 2013 he was elected co-chairman of the Central Staff of social movement "People`s front" for Russia" in 2013. At present time he is a member of the Economic Council under the President of the Russian Federation.
Evgeny Dod
Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, RusHydro JSC
Born in 1973. Graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute (State Technical University) with a degree in business administration in machine building. Holds a PhD in Economics. 1993-1996: economist and later senior economist, ABR Promradtekhbank, later - chief specialist at the department of active operations, LLC YUKOS-Invest. 1996-1999: Deputy General Director, later - General Director, JSC Investment company Farko Securities. 1999-2000: Deputy Head of Export Division, RAO UES of Russia. June 2000-2008: General Director, CJSC Inter RAO UES. May 2008-2009: Chairman of the Management Board, JSC Inter RAO UES. As of November 2009: Chairman of the Management Board, JSC RusHydro. Awarded the Certificate of Merit by the CIS Electric Power Council. In 2005, received commendation from Industry and Energy Ministry of the Russian Federation; in November 2007, Memorial Medal from Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and Certificate of Merit. Awarded the title of Honored Power Engineer and the title of Honored Power Engineer of the CIS.
Masahiro Ibi
Vice President, Japan Association for Trade with Russia and NIS (ROTOBO)
Date of Birth: April 13, 1953. EDUCATION: 1977 Bachelor Degree of Tokyo University Aeronautics and Astronautics. CAREER RECORD: 1977 Joined KHI Design Dept. Jet Engine Division. 1984 Assigned to International Aero Engines (IAE) Program (stayed in United Kingdom and United States of America). 1988 Engineering Dept. Jet Engine Division. 2001 Senior Manager, Aero Engine Sales Dept. Gas Turbine Division. 2004 Senior Manager of Aero Engine Engineering Dept. Gas Turbine Division. 2006 Senior Manager of Production Center and Production Engineering Dept. Gas Turbine Division. 2007 Appointed Associate Officer, Deputy General Manager of Gas Turbine Division (Responsible for aero and marine engines). 2009 Appointed Executive Officer, General Manager of Gas Turbine Division. 2012 Executive Officer, Vice President, Gas Turbine & Machinery Company and Deputy General Manager, Marketing Division. 2013 Managing Executive Officer, General Manager, Marketing Division. 2014 Vice President, Japan Association for Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO).
Norihiko Ishiguro
Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
Experience: 2013 Vice-Minister for International Affairs, METI. 2011 Director-General, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, METI. 2009 Director-General, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, METI. 2008 Deputy Director-General, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, METI. 2006 Deputy Director-General Manufacturing Industries Policy Bureau, METI. 2004 Director, Policy Planning and Coordination Division, METI. 1985 Study of Abroad, Stanford University (Visiting researcher, Asia-Pacific center). 1980 Joined Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Education: 1980 LL.B., Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo. Born May 3, 1957. Publications: 2003 “Strategy for Industrial Revival of Japan” ( Sangyosaisei heno senryaku),TOKYO:TOYO KEIZAI INC. 2000 “What is the competitive edge of Japan?” (Nihon no kyousouyuui to ha nanika), TOKYO: Nikkei INC. 1999 “Japan’s Strategy for next decade” (Nihon 10nengo heno senryaku), TOKYO: PHP Institute. 1996 “Electric Commerce” (Denshisyotorihiki), TOKYO: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Ltd. 1995 “CALS~Threats arising from US information network” (CALS-Beikoku jyouhou network no kyoui), TOKYO: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Ltd.
Ichiyo Ishikawa
Executive Commentator, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
Noriaki Koyama
Group Executive Vice-President, Fast Retailing Co Ltd
Noriaki Koyama is Group Executive Vice President of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (“Fast Retailing”), a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under seven main brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Helmut Lang, J Brand, Princesse tam.tam, Theory and UNIQLO. Mr. Koyama joined Fast Retailing in May 2014 from the Japan Public Prosecutors Office, where he assumed various positions including Chief Prosecutor for the Nagasaki District, a role he held until April 2014. Prior to the Japan Public Prosecutors Office, Mr. Koyama worked for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in the United States for three years until July 1999. In his current role as Group Executive Vice President of Fast Retailing, Mr. Koyama’s areas of direct responsibility are Human Resources, including the Fast Retailing Management Innovation Center, and Corporate Public Relations. Born on January 20, 1957 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Mr. Koyama graduated from the University of Tokyo in March 1982 with a Bachelor’s degree in Law, and he was a Research Scholar at the University of Michigan Law School, in the United States, from June 1991 to May 1992.
Hiroshi Meguro
General Director, Mitsui & Co Moscow LLC
Date of birth: 25 NOVEMBER, 1960. Graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, March 1983. Current Position: Chief Regional Representative in the CIS countries, General Director Mitsui & Co. Moscow LLC. April 1983 – August 1986: Steel Overseas 1st Division, Steel Plate export department Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Head Office). September 1986 – July 1988: USSR Trainee in Leningrad State University and Mitsui Moscow office. July 1988– November 1992: Manager, Steel Pipe Overseas Division, OCTG Department, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Head Office). December 1992 – December 1998: Manager, Metal Department, Mitsui Moscow office. December 1998 – December 2002: Deputy General Manager, OCTG department, Steel Pipe Overseas Div Mitsui & Co., LTD(Head Office). January 2003 – May 2006: General Manager, OCTG department, Steel Pipe & Plate Overseas Div,Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ( Head Office). May 2006 – August 2007: Chief Operating Officer(Vice President), Regency Steel Asia Pte Ltd(Singapore). September 2007-June 2008: Deputy General Director, Mitsui & Co. Moscow LLC. Since July 2008: General Director, Mitsui & Co. Moscow LLC. Since April 2011: Chief Regional Representative in the CIS countries, General Director Mitsui & Co. Moscow LLC. Since April 2015: Managing Officer, Chief Representative of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. In CIS, General Director of Mitsui & Co. Moscow LLC. Since April 2014: President, Japanese Business Club (JBC).
Konstantin Ryzhkov
Director, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Prior to joining RDIF, Konstantin was managing director and advisor to the president of International Investment Bank (IIB). He has more than 16 years of investment and merchant banking experience in Russia, USA, UK, Mongolia, Vietnam and Eastern Europe. Prior to IIB he was responsible for developing merchant banking business to the largest in the CIS at VTB. Konstantin started his career as an investment banker at NationsBanc Securities and Banc of America Securities (USA). He graduated from Davidson College (USA).
Motoi Sasaki
Vice-Minister for Infrastructure, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan
Mr. Motoi Sasaki graduated from the University of Tokyo and started his career in the Japanese national government in 1979. In the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), he held several senior-level positions including Director of Personnel Division, Deputy Director-General of Housing Bureau, Vice-Director-General of Road Bureau, Deputy Minister for Construction, Engineering and Real Estate Industry. He served as Director-General of Land Economy and Construction Industries Bureau since 2012 before being appointed as the Vice-Minister for Infrastructure in 2014. Mr. Sasaki serves as the Japanese co-chair of the Japan-Russia Working Group on Urban Environment Issues under the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues.
Sergey Tolstoguzov
Director General, RAO Energy Systems of the East
Born in 1964. Sergei Nikolaevich Tolstoguzov is a qualified power engineer. He graduated from the Magnitogorsk Mining and Metallurgical University after G.I. Nosov specializing in "Power supply to production facilities, cities and agricultural sector". Sergei Nikolaevich Tolstoguzov was elected Director General of RAO ES of the EAST PJSC at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held on November 30, 2011. In February 2011 he was appointed the First Deputy Director General of Tehnopromexport. Before that, from 2007 to 2011, he was a member of the Management Board of INTER RAO UES, where he was in charge of asset integration and management. He had also held executive positions in RAO UES of Russia, Rosenergoatom and Bashkirenergo.
Seiki Fukuda
Executive Vice President, Japan Post Co., Ltd
Alexander Shokhin
President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Alexander N. Shokhin was born 25 December, 1951. Graduated from the Moscow State University in 1974. Doctor of Economics, Professor. Twice, in 1991-1994 and in 1998, Mr. Shokhin held the post of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. In 1991-1994 he also held positions of Minister of Labor, Minister of Economics, Chairman of the Russian Agency for International Cooperation and Development. From 1994 to 2002 – Deputy of the State Duma, with the posts of First Vice Chairman of the State Duma, leader of the Duma party bloc 'Our Home is Russia', Head of the Duma Committee on Credit Institutions and Capital Markets. Since 1995 - President of the National Research University – Higher School of Economics. From 2002 to 2006 – Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Investment Group "Renaissance Capital". From 2005 to 2009 – member of the RF Public Chamber. Since 2005 – President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Mr. Shokhin is a member of several deliberative bodies under the Russian President and Government. He is also an independent director on the Boards of several companies, including ALROSA, Russian Railways, TMK and others.
Sergey Yastrebov
Governor of the Yaroslavl Region
Born on June 30, 1954. Since May 2012: Governor of the Yaroslavl Region. Education: 1976: Rybinsk Institute of Aviation Technology. Appointments: May 5, 2012: Appointed Governor of the Yaroslavl Region. April 28, 2012: Appointed Acting Governor of the Yaroslavl Region pending the inauguration of the person appointed Governor of the Yaroslavl Region by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation ‘On the Early Termination of the Powers of the Governor of the Yaroslavl Region’. Work history: 1976: Stupino Steel Works in the Moscow Region. 1976–1977: Served in the Soviet Army. From 1978: worked at the Rybinsk Engine Building Production Association, first as a designer and senior engineer, then as secretary of the local Komsomol committee. From 1982: Second, then First Secretary of the Rybinsk City Komsomol Committee. 1985–1988: Second Secretary of the Yaroslavl Region Komsomol Committee. 1988–1990: Second Secretary of the Frunze District CPSU Committee. 1990–1992: Chairman of the Frunze District Executive Committee. 1992–1998: Head of Administration of the Frunze District. From June 1998: Head of Administration of the Kirov District of the City of Yaroslavl. From April 2004: First Deputy Mayor of Yaroslavl for the municipal economy. From June 2007: First Deputy Mayor of Yaroslavl for projects and programmes commemorating the city’s millennium. From January 2009: First Deputy Mayor of Yaroslavl for social and economic development and the city’s millennium. From January 2011: First Deputy Mayor of Yaroslavl for the city’s social and economic development. From September 2011: First Deputy Mayor of Yaroslavl for urban planning and the city’s social and economic development. From March to May 2012: Deputy Governor of the Yaroslavl Region.
Front row participants Valeriy Draganov ,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Coalco Development Alexander Panov ,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russian Federation in Japan (1996-2003) Svetlana Shamzon ,
Vice President, Closed Joint-Stock Company TransTeleCom
Valeriy Draganov
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Coalco Development
Valery Gavrilovich Draganov born in 1951. 1971 - 1999, served in the office of the customs authorities in the Ukraine, Primorsky Territory, Belarus, Estonia. Since 1987 Vice-Chairman of the Customs Committee of the USSR, Chairman of the State Customs Committee (now the Federal Customs Service) of the Russian Federation (Yevgeny Primakov and Sergei Kiriyenko’s governments). Deputy of the State Duma of the third, fourth and fifth convocations, deputy chairman of the Committee on Budget and Taxes, First Deputy Chairman of Committees on Energy, Industry, Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship. Since 2006 - Deputy CEO UC RUSAL. Board member of the RSPP. Member of the Bureau of the Russian Engineering Union. PhD in Economics. Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation. Author of educational books on Customs Law. Writer.
Alexander Panov
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russian Federation in Japan (1996-2003)
Born July 6, 1944 in Moscow Panov graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1968. He entered the diplomatic service immediately upon graduation. Panov served in a number of important diplomatic posts for the Soviet Union and continued to serve his country as the Russian Federation. In 1992 he became the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Korea. In 1994 he returned to Russia to become the Deputy Foreign Minister. In 1996 he became the ambassador to Japan and in 2004 the ambassador to Norway. As of 2010 he continues to serve in this position.
Svetlana Shamzon
Vice President, Closed Joint-Stock Company TransTeleCom
Graduated from National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” in 1983. During 15 years she worked in MGTS. From 1998 to 2003 she worked in “Personal Communications” (tradename "Mobile Network SONET"). From 2004 to 2007 – Head of Moscow Macroregion, MTS. From 2007 to 2008 – Chief Commercial Officer, AiRUnion. From 2010 to 2011 – Presidential Adviser TTK. From February 2011 – Vice-President, Head of Broadband Unit, TTK. In 2014 Svetlana Shamzon was ranked among the top 10 best telecommunications industry executives according to the Executives Rating by the Russian Managers Association and Kommersant publishing house.
Broadcast
Key moments
Major corporate investment is a political issue. At the same time, conditions for fostering small and medium-sized enterprises should appear so that economic ties can develop.
Nikita Belyh
We need to offer investors products that can help them do business both successfully and safely in the Far East.
Alexander Galushka
Agriculture, transport and logistics, IT, and pharmaceuticals are currently the most attractive sectors in Russia for Japanese investors.
“Digital economy is a new paradigm for the development of the state, the economy and society.”
Greetings to participants, organisers, and guests of the
27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum
“For more than a quarter of a century, the Forum has provided an opportunity for politicians, experts, business leaders, academics, and media professionals from around the world to hold in-depth discussions on key economic development trends in Russia and the world. Participants in plenary sessions, roundtables and panel discussions exchange views on ways to promote international cooperation, encourage scientific and technological progress and the development of human capital, and to effectively tackle the challenges we face.
The theme of the current meeting, The Foundations of a Multipolar World – The Formation of New Areas of Growth, is highly relevant and meaningful. A growing part of the international community is in favour of building a just and democratic system of international relations based on the principles of genuine equality, consideration for each other’s legitimate interests, and respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity of nations. It is precisely these principles that underpin the activities of BRICS, which Russia is chairing this year. It is symbolic that the history of this dynamically developing association, whose members already account for more than a third of the global economy, began at the 10th St Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2006.
Our country is open to constructive dialogue and interaction with partners and is ready to work together to address the economic, social, scientific and technological challenges of our time.
I am confident that the Forum will jump-start new and promising initiatives and projects, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries and peoples.