Echo of Davos: Swedes in Innopolis, wonderful Islamic world and vocal greetings from Georgia
The results of Rustam Minnikhanov visit to Switzerland to the largest economic forum
The forum in Davos was the 11th for Rustam Minnikhanov, and what is important, the Tatarstan president was the only leader of the subject of Russia taking part in it. However, the world economic forum has become memorable for the republic for other reason. Read in the material of Realnoe Vremya about what big investors the two-day trip of the leader of the region to Switzerland may bring to Tatarstan and what the president was doing outside the formal programme of the forum.
Tatarstani-Swedish bridge
Rustam Minnikhanov spent 2 days at the World Economic Forum in Davos, held from 23 to 26 January. Over this time, he managed to participate in the discussion Digital Economy and the plenary session with the participation of the founder, president of the World Economic Forum and longtime friend of the president of Tatarstan, Professor Klaus Schwab. Besides, the head of the republic held several meetings, which potentially can give the republic new big investors.
One of the possible partners of Tatarstan is called the Swedish company ERICSSON, specializing in the production of telecommunications equipment. The meeting with the president of the republic was not a coincidence — the corporation is eyeing the Russian territories, going to implement a project jointly with a Russian operator. As the presidential press service informed Realnoe Vremya, Rustam Minnikhanov offered Innopolis as the site for these purposes.
They began to develop cooperation with Sweden already since last year, when the Investment Development Agency discussed with the vice president of the company Ulf Persson the possibility of entering Tatarstan at the 7th Russian-Swedish economic forum. Rustam Minnikhanov consolidated the previous agreements, invited the potential investors to come to Tatarstan to get acquainted with the region's opportunity. It is possible that the result of the communication will be the fact that ERICSSON in the framework of the World Cup will test 5G at the stadium Kazan Arena, which the company plans to bring to the market in 2019. At least such willingness has been declared in the framework of the negotiations.
It is worth noting that the Swedish concern will be a ''big fish'' for the republic as ERICSSON realizes almost 40% of global mobile traffic through its networks and has one of the most diversified patent portfolios in the industry. According to the results of lll quarter of 2017, the revenue made up 5,92bn USD. According to the results in 2016, the total assets of the concern were at the level of 35bn USD. In the ranking of largest worldwide companies by revenue, Fortune Global 500 ERICSSON is the 419th. The organization employs more than 100,000 people, and its shares can be purchased on major exchanges such as NASDAQ OMX Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
China once again brings big plans
Another no less significant event with the participation of the president of Tatarstan at Davos forum concerns the meeting with Chairman of the board of China National Industry Corporation Sinomach Ren Hongbin. The concern is included in the list of 500 largest companies in the world and engaged in the manufacture of industrial equipment and heavy machinery.
The investor has become interested in several projects in the republic. First of all, we are talking about the company's plans to participate in the construction of the ethylene complex of Nizhnekamskneftekhim — the proposals are to be submitted for this project by March. Let is remind that in June Nizhnekamskneftekhim signed a framework agreement with German Linde for design, supply of equipment and execution of the services for the launch of the first phase of the olefin complex with a capacity of 1,200 thousand tonnes of ethylene — the new production EP-600. The first phase of the project is to be implemented in 2021.
In March, Sinomach plans to submit a plan for the construction of the industrial park on the territory of the republic. It is possible that the Chinese machine-building corporation will also decide on participation in the project ''Alabuga-2. Petrochemistry'' and resolve to establish a joint production with the Yelabuga automobile plant in part of components for tractors or localizes its production of tractors in one of the special economic zones.
It remains only to monitor the progress of development of relations between the region and the largest companies and hope that these projects, unlike many other submitted by the Chinese side in various fields, would reach the implementation stage.
Minnikhanov also sat down at the negotiating table with the leadership of the Indonesian company Indorama Corporation, which has become interested in cooperation in the field of petrochemical industry and will consider the option of localization of production in Alabuga-2.
Russia has become a little closer to the Islamic world
Minnikhanov as the head of the group of strategic vision ''Russia — Islamic World'' proposed to minister of commerce and investment of Saudi Arabia Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi to create a working group on organization of the next meeting, which is to be held in 2018 in Saudi Arabia. It is possible that the meeting in Davos will also be the starting point for the development of relations in the framework of ''Russia — Islamic World'' with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef Al-Othaimeen and President of the Islamic Development Bank Bandar Al Hajjar.
Besides, the echo of the meeting at the forum in Davos will be holding a business forum of Tatarstan and Saudi Arabia and a meeting of the Russian-Saudi intergovernmental commission at KazanSummit 2018.
Snowy landscapes and vocal greetings from Georgia
As they say, business before pleasure. The followers of Rustam Minnikhanov in Instagram could see how Rustam Minnikhanov was spending time in Switzerland. In addition to snowy landscapes and photos from meetings, there you can find video of speeches of glorious representatives of the Georgian people.
The president also attended the business breakfast of VTB Capital with the participation of international and Russian investors. All the light of the Russian delegation — minister of economic development Maksim Oreshkin, minister of communications Nikolay Nikiforov, energy minister Alexander Novak and chief executive officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev – also attended the meeting.