The deputy governor of the Moscow Region, Vadim Jromov, held a meeting with businessmen at CEOE today, to present business and investment opportunities in the Russian province, as well as the possibilities of cooperation between the companies of both countries. The President of International CEOE, Marta Blanco participated in the event; the Minister Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Spain, Dmitry Sokolov; the delegate of the Russian government in the Kingdom of Spain for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Galina I. Kurochkina; the Deputy Minister of Economy of the Community of Madrid, Isaac Martín Barbero; Deputy Minister of Investment and Innovation of the Moscow Region, Anton Lóginov; and representatives of several companies from both countries.
The president of CEOE International, Marta Blanco, highlighted the great participation in the meeting, which is a sign of the interest of CEOE and the companies that make up the Organization for the Russian market. He also highlighted the excellent relations maintained by CEOE and his Russian counterpart, the Union of Industries and Entrepreneurs of Russia, a clear example of the collaboration agreement signed in 1992 to promote business and investment opportunities in both countries. In this regard, he also noted that mutual cooperation is reinforced within the framework of the common belonging of both to the International Organization of Employers (OIE), as well as within the framework of B20 and BIAC (+ Business at OECD).
Blanco highlighted that the Moscow region is a priority market for Spanish companies and with a potential for growth yet to be exploited. In fact, he praised the efforts that are being carried out in the Russian province to improve the business climate and publicize the development and modernization plans that are planned in the area. He also highlighted the competitiveness of our companies internationally, with proven experience in numerous sectors, which can greatly help the development of the region enhanced bilateral collaboration.
Economic situation
The Minister Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Spain, Dmitry Sokolov, reported that Russia is the sixth largest economy in the world, and the seventh largest domestic market in the world, with enormous potential and a middle class settled. He also explained that the Moscow region represents 2.3% of the country's GDP, which occupies the 31st position in the ranking to assess the global business climate. It also has numerous natural resources, with large reserves of natural gas, silver, gold or wheat, among others. According to Sokolov, there are also favorable economic zones in the Region for foreign investors at the fiscal or customs level.
Sectors
The delegate of the Russian government in the Kingdom of Spain for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Galina I. Kurochkina, highlighted the interest of the Region in strengthening bilateral relations and in undertaking joint projects with Spanish companies. He also informed of the great national projects that have been implemented and that require the collaboration not only of the federal government, but also of the regions and business organizations. For this, he added, there is a budget of 400,000 million dollars, destined to the development and modernization of sectors such as public health, education or housing construction, among others.
The Deputy Minister of Economy of the Community of Madrid, Isaac Martín Barbero, stressed that "this meeting represents a great opportunity to discover a country that we still have much to discover, especially in the advances related to digitalization or industry 4.0". Regarding Madrid, Barbero explained that the capital accounts for 20% of national GDP and receives 80% of investments that come from abroad. In this sense, he showed the Community's clear commitment to the competitiveness of companies and their commitment to their internationalization. He also reported that Madrid is the second largest shopping tourism destination in the world and aims to reach first place. Finally, he emphasized the role of entrepreneurs in development and economic growth, always in line with the support of government institutions.
Business opportunities
The deputy governor of the Moscow Region, Vadim Khromov, stressed that last year more than 200 projects of foreign companies were initiated in the country, the Moscow Region being an excellent platform for access to the national market. He indicated that the Russian province represents 25% of the national GDP and emphasized the opportunities that exist in numerous sectors. Khromov reported that there are four airports with a traffic of seventeen million passengers; there are two logistic container centers that go to China and the East; and there is great scientific potential in the Region.
The Deputy Governor pointed out that there are eight “cities of science” of the 13 that exist in the country and that it occupies the third place in relation to people employed in the scientific research sector. He also stressed that a quarter of the national pharmaceutical production is concentrated in Moscow and there are qualified personnel, taking into account that 50,000 people receive higher education annually and there are sixteen centers of innovative youth creativity.
Khromov mentioned that the Russian province is a leader in housing construction, among other areas. In this regard, he highlighted priority sectors for foreign investment, such as automotive, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, logistics, construction material, trade and tourism. In addition, he explained that there are multifunctional business centers in three cities in the province and that there are currently more than 400 large foreign companies installed in the area, which contribute around 18,000 million euros. Finally, he referred to the creation, four years ago, of a building development center, for which it has been possible to simplify bureaucracy and paperwork. He also insisted on the automotive and pharmacy sectors, where he considered that there are great opportunities for Spanish companies.
Next, the Deputy Minister of Investment and Innovation of the Moscow Region, Antón Lóguinov, reported on the efforts of his ministry to support both foreign and domestic investment in the Moscow Region, mainly the creation of the Development Corporation and the Construction Assistance Center and an Investor Portal, where you can carry out all the transactions electronically. On the other hand, he highlighted the numerous spaces that the region has to host the installation of productive plants, including 58 industrial parks, 3 special economic zones and 13 technology parks.
Additionally, Lóguinov emphasized the sectors with more interest for the region, highlighting the automotive industry and its components, biotechnology, electronics, the production of construction materials, food and tourism and detailed investment support measures, such as tax bonuses on income and equity, special contracts, concessions of land without tender or partial reimbursements of installation costs.
The Deputy Minister of Investment and Innovation of the Moscow Region completed his speech by ensuring that the administration of the region is open to welcome new companies that want to settle in the Moscow Region.
After the meeting, individual meetings were held with interested companies to realize possible projects in the Moscow region.