International arbitration is the most widely used mechanism for resolving disputes effectively, mitigating risk, and ultimately, promoting trade and commerce. This seminar will bring together legal counsel in an early-stage meeting scenario to consider the legal options available and the practical steps required to formulate an effective dispute resolution strategy. For the Russian business and legal communities, particularly those involved in international transactions, the seminar will equip attendees with the tools needed to make sound business decisions when faced with a potential dispute. Who should be involved in pre-dispute discussions? What are the pitfalls to avoid in informal discussions? Should companies involve lawyers in early pre-dispute discussions? How does third-party funding work in a pre-dispute discussion? What protective actions should be taken early on/for interim relief? What actions can be taken to help ensure recoverability – e.g. provisional measures, such as freezing/attachment orders? What can a company do to improve its enforcement prospects?

Moderator:
Sarah Jane Grimmer — Secretary General, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Panellists:
Olga Boltenko — Partner, Fangda Partners
Andrey Gorlenko — Executive Administrator, Russian Arbitration Centre at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration
Aleksei Dudko — Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution Practice, Hogan Lovells CIS
Ling Yang — Executive Editor-in-Chief, Shanghai International Arbitration Review

Front row participant:
Philip Lin Chuen Kung — Head of Business and Professional Services, Invest Hong Kong

The interest expressed by European business circles in the Russian Far East has not weakened despite the current sanctions regime. This has been confirmed by the number of completed and planned business missions from France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark to the regions of the Far East. The progress that the Swiss company Molumin AG has achieved in carrying out a project to develop the Shanuch and Kvinum deposits, as well as the decision to build an international luxury goods storage centre similar to Le Freeport Luxembourg, are just two examples of this positive trend. European businesses are interested in projects in the fields of agriculture, medicine, infrastructure, and mining, and in the Arctic. In order to facilitate cooperation with European investors, a decision was made to open an office of the Far East Investment and Export Agency in Europe. Are sanctions an obstacle for European companies who wish to pursue investment projects in the Far East? Which industries are the most promising? Which measures need to be taken to increase the attractiveness of the Russian Far East in the eyes of European entrepreneurs?

Moderator:
Andrey Sharonov — President, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO

Panellists:
Mikhail Akim — Vice President, ABB Ltd; Chairman, Working Group for Modernization and Innovations, Association of European Businesses (AEB)
Sylvie-Agnes Bermann — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Russian Federation
Tero Vauraste — President, Chief Executive Officer, Arctia Ltd; Chair, Arctic Economic Council
Emmanuel Quidet — President, French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Liberov — Commercial Director, Siemens Russia

Front row participants:
Gianni Bardazzi — Vice President for Russia and Caspian Region, Maire Tecnimont SpA
Christian Wolfensberger — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Molumin AG
Aleksandr Nosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Investments and Strategic Planning, Russian Highways State Company

The young people of the world are the driving force behind innovation and creativity,
the catalyst for putting new initiatives, ideas, and movements into practice, and a reservoir of vast intellectual potential. The young people of the Russian Far East hold the key to overall economic development in the macroregion. The rapid growth of youth entrepreneurship, the implementation of projects which are strategically important to the regions, and the establishment of an environment in which economically advantageous ideas can be replicated are all facilitating further development in the Far East. Entrepreneurial activity by young people in the Far Eastern Federal District is capable of making a significant contribution to increasing the gross regional product. But how can we attract young people to the Far East? What conditions are required to establish a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Far East? How can we develop cross-border youth entrepreneurship?

Moderator:
Alexey Bobrovsky — Head of the Economic Programme, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Yekaterina Dragunova — Deputy Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Ivan Komarov — Director of Education Projects, Delovaya Sreda JSC
Aleksey Mostovshchikov — Co-chairman of Magadan Regional Division, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Front row participants:
Tatiana Andreeva — General Director, Centre for Business and Innovation Development Initiative
Denis Balura — Managing Partner, Modern Services
Alim Galimullin — Co-Founder, Gafel
Alexander Golovko — Individual Entrepreneur
Stanislav Terekhov — Individual Entrepreneur

The social and economic development of the Russian Far East is one of the factors that will determine Russia’s success in the international arena. Investment in establishing favourable conditions for business communications and incentives for business activity could prove to be a key element of this development, including by cultivating the region’s potential to host events and creating a comfortable sociocultural environment for guests. Today, many new convention and exhibition centres are being built throughout the world, and money is being invested in renovating existing venues both in developing areas, and in well-known locations which enjoy high demand from organizers of international events. Hosting international events boosts the profile of both the host city and the country as a whole, increasing their attractiveness to tourists and investors, facilitating socioeconomic development, providing an additional impulse for the growth of various economic sectors, and helping to improve the region’s position in the global arena. Russia has every chance of becoming a leader in the international events market through harnessing the potential of new areas like the Far East of the country. Could a cluster approach be employed to develop regional events potential? How can the Russian Far East effectively apply the similar experience and development model of the Asia-Pacific countries? What criteria should modern convention and exhibition venues meet? Could public–private partnership become a tool for the effective development and improvement of regional events infrastructure? What is the best way to choose international events and attract them to the region? What is the role of the social and cultural environment in boosting the attractiveness of the region from the point of view of event organizers and participants?

Moderator:
Alexey Muratov — Partner, KB Strelka

Panellists:
Nikita Anisimov — Rector, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Vasily Grebennikov — Deputy General Director, Far East Development Fund
Alexey Kalachev — Chief Executive Officer, Russia Convention Bureau
Elena Myakotnikova — Corporate Director, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Wang Ping — Chairman, China Chamber of Tourism
Evgeny Podshivalov — Deputy General Director, Monotowns Development Fund

Front row participant:
Vera Yermilova — General Director, Dalexpocenter LLC

Investing in infrastructure is considered to be one of the best ways of stimulating economic development. Given that Russia’s regions are facing budget deficits, public–private partnership is one of the key tools available for developing infrastructure, attracting investment, and improving the quality of public services. What experience do regions in the Russian Far East have of public–private partnership projects to build social infrastructure? What opportunities are there for new projects?

Moderator:
Elena Kuznetsova — Partner, McKinsey & Company

Panellists:
Anatoliy Bobrakov — Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Sergey Gostev — Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance, Chief Executive Officer, GV Gold (Vysochaishy, PJSC)
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Ayna Neustroyeva — Member of the Board, Union of Builders of Yakutia
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Andrey Chibis — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Participation in the volunteer movement is fundamentally changing the way people live in the Russian Far East. It is not only helping to bring together active, committed people, whose spiritual and creative potential is being revealed through their involvement in volunteer projects, it is also creating a whole community of successful, open-minded, and purposeful citizens. And it is these citizens who will provide the starting point for imaginative and socially significant projects aimed primarily at improving and developing the Far East. What benefits can volunteering bring to development in the Russian Far East? What is the value of this movement that has come to encompass every aspect of people’s lives? How do we ensure that volunteering becomes an integral part of everyone’s life? Is there a need to consider volunteering through the prism of international projects, and what mechanisms for cooperation with such projects are available? How can volunteers help to resolve the region’s problems?

Moderator:
Artem Metelev — Chairman of the Council, Association of Volunteer Centers; Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Undral Gombodorj — Chairperson, Network of Mongolian Volunteer Organizations (NMVO)
Yekaterina Dragunova — Deputy Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Ilya Popov — Founder, GoodSurfing Global Project
Ekaterina Rybakova — Co-Founder, Rybakov Foundation
Valery Fedorov — Director General, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
Natalia Yakunina — Head, Dream Island Environmental Project