Russian and Czech ministers of industry open session of Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation
On March 23, 2016, as part of a working visit to Prague, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov met Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Jan Mládek. Following their discussions, they jointly opened a plenary session of the Russian–Czech Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.
Acting as co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission, the two ministers discussed topical issues in their bilateral trade and economic partnership and acknowledged that there is a serious future and significant potential in the relationship between the two countries. At the same time, they noted with regret that trade between Russia and the Czech Republic fell in 2015 (with a reduction in exports and imports of 37% and 42% respectively).
Both sides expressed their certainty that working together through the Intergovernmental Commission will provide further stimulus for cooperation and will soon invigorate the market, leading to improved economic performance. For this potential to be realized, there must be regular contact, taking mutual interests into consideration, securing the development of economic ties between Russia and the Czech Republic in the longer term.
In his address, Denis Manturov focused on industrial policy tools currently being developed in the Russian Federation, intended for companies across almost all branches of industry. According to Manturov, the implementation of the new policy is aimed at boosting the localization of full cycle industrial production across all of Russia’s regions. He expressed his ministry’s willingness to offer support for similar joint projects.
He also noted that small and medium-sized businesses in Russia’s regions are continuing to show substantial interest in developing cooperation with the Czech Republic. Joint projects have already been carried out with support from the Russian Trade Representation to the Czech Republic and from Czech partners in a number of Russian regions. Six regional working groups are currently active under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Commission.
According to Manturov, an additional boost to the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries will be provided by the Russian Export Center. Czech entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of this export support tool.
Manturov expressed his hope that the Intergovernmental Commission would help to make progress in finding solutions to existing problems, and invited his Czech colleagues to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, set to take place on June 16–18, 2016, and to the INNOPROM 2016 International Industrial Trade Fair, which will take place on July 11–14 this year in Yekaterinburg.
At the end of the Intergovernmental Commission session, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on technical regulation between the ministries of industry of Russia and the Czech Republic.
Source: minpromtorg.gov.ru (Russian)
