On Thursday, July 19, a meeting of representatives of the business community and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the 20 countries and 7 regions of Russia was held in the Central House of Entrepreneurs. The participants decided to create a Council of the Heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Euro-Asian region.
According to the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Vladimir Platonov, the Moscow Chamber pays close attention to the development of its elemental activities – the C6 Business Council and international cooperation. The Head of the Moscow CCI recalled that this association was formed in 2006 on the initiative of MCCI and the Chamber of Berlin and, initially, it included the four of the CCIs of the largest cities in Europe - Moscow, Berlin, Paris, London and the Beijing branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Later, in 2012, they were joined by the CCI of Sao Paulo.
"Today, the MCCI proposes to enhance the system. Our colleagues continuously turn to us, wishing to join the work of the Business Council. Therefore, we propose to create a "Council of the Heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the business centers of the Euro-Asian area" - a single economic entity from Lisbon to Vladivostok, "Mr. Vladimir Platonov said at the event.
Representatives of regional CCIs and their foreign colleagues supported the idea. The Istanbul International Chamber of Commerce Coordinator, Ms. Senem Erdogan, noted that "International cooperation has great potential, while cultural and national differences influence the conduct of business. Chambers of Commerce and Industry is a great platform for integration"
The Vice President of the MCCI, responsible for international cooperation, Mr. Suren Vardanyan, explained the essence of the Convention on the establishment of a Council of the Heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the business centers of the Euro-Asian space. He emphasized that the Council is created in order to enhance cooperation between businesses and to consolidate the efforts of Chambers of Commerce of different regions and countries. It is aimed at the formation of new mechanisms for interaction in the use of digital technologies in economy. The Convention shall enter into force upon receiving signatures of its first five members.
As an e-platform for interaction between the Chambers, which will join the Council, the "Business-Market" was featured. It was created and launched by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce. As described by the adviser to the President of the MCCI, Mr. Platonov, Mr. Artyom Dalevich, said "The Ecosystem of the Chamber is self-sufficient. Among the members of the Chambers, one may find reliable partners and outlets for one’s products. All of the Chambers, in one way or another, strive to create a marketplace. We propose to use our platform as a unifying one, a consolidator, and to employ member CCIs, included in the Council, as agents. Companies that are not part of the Chambers may also be seen on this site, but then they will have to pay a fee for exhibiting their goods and services"
The President of the Central-Siberian CCI, Mr. Rafael Shageev, said that the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry found wide support among the entrepreneurs of the region. "Using a digital platform for our region is a real opportunity to develop small and medium-sized businesses," he said.
The Council of the Heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Euro-Asian space has been established and is starting its work - the Convention has already been signed by the CCIs of Yerevan, Yekaterinburg, Bratislava, Karachi, Istanbul, Krasnoyarsk and, of course, Moscow. In the near future, a number of CCIs are intending to join the project. Mr. Vladimir Padalko, the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, stated: "In order to survive and flourish under current conditions, the services, provided by our company, should be better, faster and more efficient than those of our competitors. We hope that the Council will contribute to the evolution of both the CCI system as a whole, as well as the establishment of close interregional and international contacts," was how Mr. Platonov summed up the results of the meeting.