Annual Meeting 2009: Summary

The U.S.-Russia Business Council held its 17th Annual Meeting on September 24-25, 2009 in New York with the goal of examining how the two countries can build on recent changes in the political climate to create a new level of bilateral cooperation that could result in a greater economic partnership.

The event opened with a Gala Dinner at the New York Public Library on September 24, with William Rhodes, Chairman and President of Citibank and Senior Vice Chairman of Citi, providing the keynote address. Mr. Rhodes surveyed the global financial landscape in the midst of the current crisis and pointed to avenues for reform in the Russian banking system.

The conference itself was highlighted by a keynote address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov. Minister Lavrov emphasized that the U.S.-Russia commercial relationship is a foreign policy priority for the Russian government, and noted that work on the Bilateral Presidential Commission launched by Presidents Medvedev and Obama in July was progressing.

Other keynote addresses were delivered by Dennis Hightower, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce; John Beyrle, U.S. Ambassador to Russia; Mary Laschinger, President EMEA of International Paper; and Vladimir Golovnev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship.

The meeting’s panel sessions dealt with the current political and economic challenges and opportunities in the relationship. The “Resetting the Relationship” panel looked at the efforts underway to improve the political atmosphere and how that might effect the commercial relationship, while the “Diversifying the Russian Economy” and “Coping with the Crisis” sessions examined the economic relationship and how foreign investors can play a role in creating a more dynamic economy in Russia. The panel on “Identifying Opportunities in Russia’s Regions” presented several regions that are actively seeking foreign investment as well a discussion of strategies for expanding outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Panels were also held on “The Future of Financial Services in Russia” to discuss efforts underway to reform Russia’s financial services sector and what that sector may look like in the future, and on “Developing an Effective Government Relations Practice in Russia” to examine the new and constantly evolving practice of government/public relations in Russia.

Among the panel speakers was Olga Andreeva, Director General of Krasnodar Krai Economic Development Agency.


View Olga Andreeva's presentation (.ppt)

Feedback