An extended Meeting of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry Committee for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States Economic Integration on the topic «Russia and Ukraine inter-regional cooperation status and outlook» took place in Rostov-on-Don within the framework of the XIII World Business Don Forum. The meeting was held within the forum framework.

The event was organized by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, CCI of Ukraine and CCI of Rostov region. The key objective of the event was optimization of inter-regional cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.  

During the Committee’s session there were reviewed such issues as establishment of favorable environment for trade and economic interaction between Russia and Ukraine, expansion of economic cooperation, establishment of direct ties and dialog between business and finance circles.

The Meeting heard the reports of the Ukraine CCI President Mr. Gennadiy Chyzhykov and the RF CCI President Mr. Sergey Katyrin, SCO and CIS Economic Integration Committee Chairman Mr. Vladimir Salamatov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Yelchenko, representatives of the federal government authorities and the CIS integration bodies. Presidents of regional Ukrainian CCIs from Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kirovograd, Lugansk, Poltava, Sevastopol, Kherson and Kremenchug also took part in the meeting.

“The business community and its organizations, primarily Chambers of commerce and industry can and must take more active role in the dialog between our countries over the whole range of trade and economic cooperation. I would like to confirm Ukraine’s readiness for profound cooperation with Russia and other Customs union member states. For this purpose The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the scheduled plan of review acceptable for Ukraine Customs union documents. We want to avoid unnecessary confrontation by harmonization of economic relations and removal of barriers in trade according to WTO principles and norms. As well as Russian Federation CIS countries remain the main partners of Ukraine on the foreign markets with total mutual sales volume over 60 bln US dollars”, – emphasized in his speech Mr. Yelchenko.

Ukrainian and Russian Participants of International business forum highlighted that great opportunities for further development of bilateral relationship between the countries lie in economic potential and creative initiative at the local level. Euroregions and large industrial projects remain important aspects of cooperation. At that interests of Ukrainian and Russian citizens become a top priority and new efforts according to the participants of Rostov-on-Don forum should be aimed at simplification and acceleration of the border and custom control procedures.

«Ukrainian CCI and regional Chambers in their activity always laid special emphasis on development of trade and economic cooperation with Russian Federation and Customs union member states and supported Ukrainian businessmen in such relationships establishment. Particular attention is paid to collaboration in the sector of industrial cooperation taking into account technical-and-economic ties of Ukrainian and Russian industries and enterprises. Primarily this refers to high-technology industries including machine building, aircraft engineering, tool engineering, transport infrastructure and some others», – emphasized in his speech Mr. Chyzhykov.