Time: May 19, 2023, 14:40–16:00

Venue: Halls 3–4, International Exhibition Centre Kazan Expo, Kazan

Organisers: Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Moderator: Maria Suvorovskaya, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian Business Guide

Speakers:

Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation;

Shahin Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan;

Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation;

Sahib Alekperov, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

Igor Babushkin, Governor of the Astrakhan Region;

Veronika Nikishina, General Director of JSC “Russian Export Centre”;

Yusif Abdullayev, President of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency – AZPROMO;

Orhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

Ruslan Mirsayapov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Azerbaijan;

Ruslan Aliyev, Trade Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation;

Vagif Hammedov, Agroexpress project;

Alexey Skatin, General Director of “Nawinia Rus” LLC;

Zaur Garaisaev, Chairman of the Executive Board of “IBA-MOSCOW Bank” LLC.

At the round table, the participants discussed the matters of cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan. The discussion was launched by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk and Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev. The Republic of Azerbaijan is a key partner of the Russian Federation in the South Caucasus. At year-end 2022, mutual trade turnover increased by 24% and exceeded US $ 4 billion; the portfolio of joint investments contains nine major projects for a total of US $ 6 billion. There are more than 900 joint ventures with Russian participation in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Several joint megaprojects are in the pipeline that will have both bilateral and global significance. They include the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, cooperation in the fields of fuel and energy, and industrial production.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Dmitry Volvach spoke about collaboration in the trade sphere between our countries. Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahib Alekperov noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan maintains cooperation with more than 70 regions of the Russian Federation; cooperation agreements are entered into with 17 regions. Azerbaijan is especially successful in developing relations with the Astrakhan Region and the Republic of Tatarstan. Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin spoke about cooperation with Azerbaijan, including a large number of projects implemented in infrastructure and social sphere, and well established cooperation of transportation industry businesses.

General Director of JSC “Russian Export Centre” Veronika Nikishina described the matters of exporter support, and new opportunities for the bilateral development of industrial and logistics cooperation.

Yusif Abdullayev, President of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency – AZPROMO, spoke about the business promotion mechanisms that stimulate the development of trade, and stressed the importance of subsidizing logistics.

For many years, the two countries have been exchanging best practices in the sphere of small and medium business. Chairman of the Board of Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan Orhan Mammadov shared the experience of such cooperation.

Trade Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation Ruslan Aliyev unveiled the region’s transport and logistics potential.

The key trends in the cooperation between two countries were highlighted in the report of Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Azerbaijan Ruslan Mirsayapov.

Chairman of the Executive Board of “IBA-MOSCOW Bank” LLC Zaur Garaisaev told about the risks faced by the foreign trade participants and the financial products that serve for their minimization.

The following two bilateral agreements were signed during the event: Memorandum of Cooperation on expanding the production of motor vehicles in the Republic of Azerbaijan between PJSC “Sollers” and Open Joint Stock Company “Azermash” of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Memorandum of Cooperation between the Union of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan and the National Confederation of Entrepreneur (Employer) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.