The XIV Eurasian Economic
Forum in Verona has begun. The programme’s events are being held in person. This year’s overarching theme is ‘Eurasia on
its Path to a New Geopolitical, Social, and Economic Order: Transition to a
New, Human-Centred Economy’. The Forum is organized by the Roscongress
Foundation, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and Conoscere
Eurasia Association. The event is co-organized
by the Association of European Businesses and Russian Union of Industrialists
and Entrepreneurs.
The opening ceremony featured comments from Mayor of
Verona Federico Sboarina, President Emeritus of Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy)
Giovanni Bazoli, and Banca Intesa Russia President and Association Conoscere
Eurasia (Italy) President Antonio Fallico. In his welcome address, Professor Fallico said, «Last year we had just a
handful of brave attendees. The majority of our participants, approximately
5,000 people, watched events online. This year, the Forum’s broadcast is being
watched in Italy, Russia, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, the United
Kingdom, the USA, China, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
and other Eurasian countries. Today, the Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona is
being held entirely in person, and this is a major accomplishment by its
organizers.»
The first day of the Forum’s business programme
focused on discussions about the energy transition, circular economies, and the
green economy. Work at the Forum started off with a special session called
‘Structural Changes in the Economy and the Future of Energy’, where President
and CEO of Rosneft (Russia) Igor Sechin presented a report on ‘The Need for
Structural Economic Change and the Future of Energy’. «The environmental and
climate agendas are being brought to the forefront, but they shouldn’t
undermine humanity’s access to energy resources nor risk slowing down
socioeconomic development,» said Sechin.
The next session was dedicated to the prospects of
creating a Greater Eurasian Partnership from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
During the discussion, ex-ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Russian
Federation (2017–2021) Pasquale Terracсiano noted that, «Talks between the
European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union began in 2017. As a result, EU
and EAEU standards have been harmonized across 12 sectors. This is a small
example of what we can achieve through partnership and cooperation.»
Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Knorr-Bremse and
Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation to Baden-Württemberg, Germany Klaus
Mangold noted that, «Everything is linked in the international framework,
without this it will not be possible to have a predictable business in this
world. Let’s make no mistake, we are actually living in a kind of disruptive
world. Everything that we believed was granted and was sure until a couple of
years ago, now is changing rapidly. This needs, from a European perspective, an
EU that is more powerful than what we see actually. My strongest point of
concern today is a weak Europe: as far as European institutions are concerned,
as well as the interior design of Europe. We need Europe as a strong powerhouse;
to be equal in a world where you have leadership all over the place. We have to
bring our European countries to a more unified Europe with strong leadership.
It’s impossible to talk about international energy policy without having a
strong integration with Russia.»
The heads of leading energy companies took part in a
discussion on the prospects of natural gas and the Green Economy. At the start
of the discussion, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom Victor Zubkov
said that populist calls for divesting from oil and gas are utopian daydreams.
Chairman of the Management Board and Member of the
Board of Directors of NOVATEK Leonid Mikhelson discussed the effects of the
pandemic on the energy sector: «During the global pandemic, society’s focus
turned to energy issues. The economy is facing a new challenge: energy prices
are growing rapidly. Certain enterprises have even been forced to close as a
result. This is a challenge for the gas industry as well. The situation must be
equalized and prevented from happening again — that is governments’,
regulators’, and gas companies’ common goal.»
In the evening portion of the business programme of
the XIV Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona, participants discussed ecological
transition, circular economies, and global diplomacy in the modern world.
Commenting on modern geopolitical trends, Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Pankin said,
«Any integration is based primarily on balancing interests and mutual benefits.
However, the world has become fragmented in a geopolitical sense. A break has
occurred and globalization has become decentralized. Now it relies more on
regional ties. We, diplomats, understand that there are battles being waged
over ‘space’ and that there are competitors even in integration processes.»
As is tradition, the Forum’s
business programme was accompanied by a number of cultural events. This year,
participants had the opportunity to see a performance by the Alexandrov
Ensemble (Red Army Choir) featuring Italian musical star Al Bano. The Forum
also includes a photo exhibition titled ‘The Unbelievable Adventures of
Italians in Russia," which touches on the various aspects of bilateral
partnership — from culture to the economy — in post-war decades.
The
business programme of the XIV Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona will continue
on 29 October. During the second day, participants will discuss the effects of
the pandemic on banks and the financial sector, technological innovation and
digital transition, the role of the pharmaceutical industry in a modern
economy, and debate ways to overcome the neoliberal social economic system.
The complete programme of the XIV
Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona can be found on its official website.
Live broadcasts of the sessions can be found on the Eurasian Economic Forum in
Verona website or through the electronic resources of the Roscongress
Foundation and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.
The Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential, promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country’s image. One of the roles of the Foundation is to comprehensively evaluate, analyse, and cover issues on the Russian and global economic agendas. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, helps foster social entrepreneurship and charitable initiatives.
Each year, the Foundation’s events draw participants from 208 countries and territories, with more than 15,000 media representatives working on-site at Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional expertise provided by 5,000 people working in Russia and abroad.
The Foundation works alongside various UN departments and other international organizations, and is building multi-format cooperation with 173 economic partners, including industrialists’ and entrepreneurs’ unions, financial, trade, and business associations from 78 countries worldwide, and 188 Russian public organizations, federal and legislative agencies, and federal subjects.
The Roscongress Foundation has Telegram channels in Russian t.me/Roscongress, English – t.me/RoscongressDirect, and Spanish t.me/RoscongressEsp. Official website and Information and Analytical System of the Roscongress Foundation: roscongress.org.