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Argentine B20 Presidency Regional Forum in St. Petersburg

Argentine B20 Presidency Regional Forum in St. Petersburg

Business Twenty (B20) will hold its Regional Consultation Forum 'Digitalization – an Engine for Growth and Inclusive Development' at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

One of the key issues to be addressed is ensuring that the digital transformation becomes a driving force behind growth that is global, innovative, inclusive, and sustainable. The participants will discuss new business models and government policies necessary support these changes, development of a digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and related skills, as well as cooperation between governments and the private sector in order to overcome the technological gap. The results of the discussion will be taken into consideration during development of the B20’s recommendations which are to be agreed at the B20 summit in Buenos Aires in autumn 2018.

Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), told about the details of the event: “The key issues of digitalization and the development of human capital will be discussed at the Business Twenty Regional Consultation Forum. The Business Twenty is an important international format of interaction, which makes it possible for business to set forth its stand on high-priority issues of economic policy and propose solutions for the G20 leaders. Argentine B20 Presidency Chair Daniel Funes de Rioja, President of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) Erol Kiresepi, and the heads of leading innovative companies and employers’ organizations from the G20 member countries will address the B20 Forum participants.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renova Group Viktor Vekselberg, Chairman of the EAEU Business Council Committee on the Digital Agenda Vladimir Basko, President of Rostelecom Mikhail Oseyevsky will be present at the event. Among the foreign participants are Rakesh Bharti Mittal, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry; Guo Ping, Deputy Chairman, Rotating Chairman of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.; Cees ‘t Hart, Co-chair of the EU-Russia Industrialists' Round Table, President and CEO of Carlsberg Group, and others.

The organizers of the Forum are the Roscongress Foundation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the 2018 B20 President – Group of Six, which unites the leading business associations of Argentina (Asociacion de Bancos Argentinos (ADEBA), the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange (BCBA), Argentinean Chamber of Trade and Services (Camara Argentina de Comercio y Sevicios, CACS), Argentinean Chamber of Construction (Camara Argentina de la Construccion, CAMARCO), Argentine Rural Society (Sociedad Rural Argentina, SRA) and Argentine Industrial Union (UIA)), and the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, noted the importance of the Business Twenty meeting in conjunction with SPIEF, the key Russian business event. “The B20 participants have an opportunity to not only discuss pressing issues, but also to hear the opinion of the international business community in order to present the consolidated opinion of international business representatives to the G20. This is exactly the purpose of SPIEF 2018 – every voice to be heard, joint decisions to serve the development of the global economy based on trust and mutual understanding.”

The Business Twenty is a social partner of the Group of Twenty, representing the business community of its member states. The mission of B20 is to maintain a dialogue between government and business, develop proposals for the G20 leaders on forming a global economic policy to overcome the major challenges of our time. B20 Forum has become a part of the SPIEF agenda since 2015.

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