20 January 2025

European business on the sidelines of international forums: prospects for cooperation

Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov held a meeting with Conoscere Eurasia Association President Antonio Fallico in Moscow at which they discussed prospects for trade and economic relations in the Greater Eurasia space and identified opportunities for cooperation between Russian and European businesses on the sidelines of international forums.

At the 17th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) on 5–6 December 2024, Fallico invited the participants, including representatives of the European business community, to take part in major international events in 2025, such as the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (18–21 June), the Eastern Economic Forum (3–6 September), and Russian Energy Week (15–17 October). He expressed hope that economic diplomacy will facilitate a dialogue between entrepreneurs from different countries and stabilize the geopolitical situation.

“Holding the Verona Eurasian Economic Forum each year helps to develop an intercountry business dialogue in the Greater Eurasia space. More than a thousand people from more than 30 countries traditionally take part in the event. Since 2022, the Forum has expanded its geography and moved beyond Italy: it was held in Azerbaijan in 2022, in Uzbekistan in 2023, and in the UAE in 2024. I would like to emphasize that meetings among a broad range of representatives of business communities to hold a free discussion about the most pressing issues concerning business cooperation are particularly important in the current geopolitical conditions. We hope that this format, which is popular among business, will continue to develop,” Fallico said.

Greater Eurasia is a geopolitical space that is home to more than two-thirds of the world’s population. One of the goals of cooperation among all the countries that make up this space is to implement projects that aim to improve the economic prosperity of these countries.

“There is always an opportunity for a business dialogue between business circles of Russia and other countries, including European ones, on the sidelines of major congress and exhibition events. The intensification of international cooperation and the search for joint solutions is aimed at preserving this common economic space, where a number of European companies continue to do business with their Russian partners. Our country has numerous opportunities for representatives of European business who share common values in a wide range of businesses: energy, infrastructure, transport, finance, and medicine. I am confident that joint work as part of the forum tracks this year will enable us to promote and implement new business projects,” Kobyakov said.

At the end of the meeting, Kobyakov invited the Conoscere Eurasia Association to take part in discussions at major business events and expressed hope that business circles will continue to intensify their dialogue on developing contacts at the 18th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum.

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