Business programme

For many years, Egypt has been one of Russia's key trading partners in Africa. The interest of Russian and Egyptian businesses in the implementation of joint projects is increasing. The parties attach great importance to the Russian industrial zone being created in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which can give a new impetus to the deepening of industrial cooperation between the two countries and become an entrance gate for Russian enterprises to the markets of other countries of the African continent. What opportunities for cooperation between Russia and Egypt arise in the new economic reality? Which areas of economic and investment cooperation are the most promising? What can serve as an additional incentive for the implementation of joint projects in new areas? How do we see Russian-Egyptian economic relations by 2030?

Moderator
Irina Abramova, Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Irina Abramova

Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African studies, member of the academy of sciences, Russia’s leading expert on Africa with 32 years of experience. She is the author of more than 200 research works published in Russia and abroad, including 9 major monographs, including Africa’s New Role in the XXI century Economy, African Population in the New Global Economy, Resource Potential of Africa and Russia’s National Interests in the XXI Century, African Migration: an Exercise in the Systems Analysis.
Dr. Abramova is a leading specialist of the Department of Global Problems and International Relations in the field of African economy and population. She is a member of the Scientific Council on Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Her systematic analysis of international migration problems in Africa between 2005 and 2016 wasn’t only a contribution to science but allowed for practical application. Her analytics are highly appreciated by executive offices. Dr. Abramova is a member of Council of Science at the Security Council of Russia,a regular speaker at the International Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime (Cambridge, UK), member of the Politics group of St Petersburg Dialogue (Russia – Germany) expert of the Council of Europe on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Her expertise is acknowledged by the publication of her works in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Araibic and African countries as well as her participation in over a 100 international.

Panellists
Daniil Algulyan, Deputy Chairman, VEB.RF
Waleid Gamaleldien, Vice-President, General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) for Investment and Promotion Affairs
Nevein Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Tatiana Gvilava, Chairman, Russian-Arab Business Council; President, All Russia Organization for Women in Business
Mohamed Kassem, Chairman, Egyptian Exporters Association, Expolink
Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Mikhail Orlov, Chairman, Russian-Egyptian Business Council
Andrey Slepnev, Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission

Daniil Algulyan

Deputy Chairman, VEB.RF

Date of birth: 1 September 1976
Education:
2010–2011, London Business School, EMBA.
2000–2003, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Major: Jurisprudence.
1997–1999, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Major: International Political Science.
1993–1997, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Major: Regional Studies and Diplomacy.
Professional Background:
October 2018–Present, Deputy Chairman of VEB.RF.
July 2017–October 2018, Senior Vice-President, Head of International Activities, Export and Financial Institutions, State Corporation “Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)”.
October 2016–July 2017, Senior Vice-President, Export Finance and Trade Finance, State Corporation “Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)”.
2013–2016, Director of the Export Finance Department, State Corporation “Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)”.
2006–2013, Director, Head of the Representative Office of КfW IPEX-Bank GmbH in the Russian Federation.
2002–2006, project manager, advisor, KfW Group.

Nevein Gamea

Minister of Trade and Industry of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Tatiana Gvilava

Chairman, Russian-Arab Business Council; President, All Russia Organization for Women in Business

Denis Manturov

Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation

Denis Manturov was born on February 23, 1969, in Murmansk.
Education:
1994 – Lomonosov Moscow State University, major in Sociology.
1997 – Postgraduate studies at Moscow State University, PhD.
2002 – Doctoral programme at Moscow Aviation Institute.
2006 – Russian Academy of Public Service under the President of the Russian Federation, major in Law.
Professional experience:
1998 – Appointed Deputy General Director of Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant.
2000 – Appointed Commercial Director of Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant.
2001 – Appointed Deputy Chairman of State Investment Corporation (Gosincor).
2003 – Appointed General Director of OAO OPK Oboronprom.
2007 – Appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation.
2008 – Appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
2012 – Appointed acting Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
2012 – Appointed Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
Awards:
2007 – Awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland (Second Class)”.
2008 – Awarded the Order of Friendship.
2009 – Awarded the Order of Honour.
2010 – Awarded an Honorary Certificate of the Government of the Russian Federation.
2013 – Awarded the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland (Fourth Class)”.
Additional information:
Active State Advisor of the Russian Federation (First Class).
Mr. Manturov was included in the “Golden 100” Personnel Management Reserve under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation.
He speaks multiple foreign languages.
He is married with a daughter and a son.

Mikhail Orlov

Chairman, Russian-Egyptian Business Council

At a crossroad of very different cultures, half Russian, half Egyptian, Mikhail Orlov was born and grew up in Switzerland. He speaks five languages and holds a Master degree in Economics from the St-Gall School of Economics, Law, Business & Public Administrationin Switzerland.
After few years spent in the office of the General Director of the UN World Health Organization dealing with the consequences of the breakdown of the former USSR on healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, he worked first as corporate banker with Credit Suisse setting up a large correspondent banking network throughout Russia before becoming the head of the Moscow office of INVESCO as managing director. In charge of finding private equity investment opportunities, he mainly supervised the management of portfolio companies usually with a strong turn around scenario supporting the creation of value to investors. He then became Managing Director – International with The Carlyle Group in charge of private equity investments in the former USSR.
In 2005, he created Black Earth Farming Ltd, one of Russia’s largest agricultural companies. It acquired approximately 330’000 hectares of prime agricultural land, the majority of which had been fallow for several years as a result of the breakdown of the USSR and of the lack of adequate agricultural legislation and policies in the country, and put it back into production with modern agricultural principles. This project had a serious social impact from a point of view of employment and upgrade in professional qualifications.
After a successful IPO on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, he left the company and dealt with different agricultural projects in Russia, Zambia, Ethiopia and other parts of the world. He developed a strong franchise in the seed segment and became a recognized expert on the entire food value chain advising different governments and corporates/investors. He served 3 years on the Board of PETKUS Ltd, the world’s leading company in equipment and integrated solutions for the seed industry.
He currently chairs the Russian-Egyptian Business Council (since 2014). He is also a Mentor at the SKOLKOVO Innovation Center and a Member of the Advisory Board of the “AgroFinMost” project with the HSE – Skolkovo Institute for Law and Development.
He got awarded the Stolypin Award in 2008 from the Minister of Agriculture of Russia for the most efficient investment into Russian agriculture and received in May 2013 the Anders Wall Award from the renowned Swedish Anders Wall Foundation for the rural project “Danilovka”.

Andrey Slepnev

Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission

Born September 13, 1969 in Bor, Nizhny Novgorod Region.
2005–2007: Head of the Presidential Experts’ Directorate
2007–2009: Deputy Minister of Agriculture
2009–2011: Member of the Trade Panel (Minister) of the Eurasian Economic Commission
February 26 – July, 2016: Assistant to the Prime Minister
July 5, 2016: appointed Deputy Head of the Government’s Executive Office and Director of the Projects Department of the Government of the Russian Federation. From May 2018 to February 2020, he was the CEO of JSC Russian Export Center. On March 2 2020 Andrey Slepnev took office as a member of the Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Front row participants
Artem Ledenev, Deputy General Director, Transmashholding
Igor Morozov, Member of the Committee for Economy Policy of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation

Igor Morozov

Member of the Committee for Economy Policy of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation