VII Baikal International Economic Forum Has Started up in Irkutsk

VII Baikal International Economic Forum has started up in Irkutsk. Delegations from 28 countries and representative of 15 regions of Russia have arrived at the BEF.

As Dmitry Mezentsev, Governor of the Irkutsk region, focuses on, the BEF has rapidly gaining importance since 2000, when the Baikal Economic Forum took the place for the first time. Proposals of Ministrie and Agencies aimed at creating more attractive investment climate in Russia are becoming definite at the Forum. Equally important, according to Dmitry Mezentsev, is the fact that the Forum solves social problems that affect the lives of millions of people.

Viktor Tolokonskiy, the Russian Federation Plenipotentiary Presidential Representative in Siberian Federal District, read the greetings of Dmitry Medvedev, the RF President. "I hope that broad representation and your active participation in conferences and round tables will facilitate the efficiency of the Forum’s activity," - said the President of Russia.

In welcoming of Vladimir Putin, the RF Prime Minister, read out to the participants by Dmitry Mezentsev, Governor of Irkutsk Region, the priorities of the economic development of Siberia and the Far East were specially marked: innovative projects to develop modern industries, improve transportation, telecommunications, energy infrastructure, efficient use of natural resources, enhance business and cultural contacts with countries in Asia Pacific.

Aleksandr Torshin , Vice-Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, said in his welcoming speech that the main topic of the VII Baikal International Economic Forum is a public policy development in the Baikal region and the Far East and the prospects for integration and cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. According to him, the development of these macro-regions will largely depend on further development of the Asia Pacific region.

ccording to Suhbataryn Batbold, Prime Minister of Mongolia, Mongolia considers the Baikal Economic Forum as an especially important event, which becomes an effective mechanism for cooperation in the Asia Pacific region. He said that over the past 10 years the trade turnover between Russia and Mongolia has increased by 50% and amounted to over U.S. $ 1 billion, which corresponds to the 90s. At the same time the trade turnover between our countries has a growth potential.
S. Batbold said that Mongolia is working towards accession to APEC, is preparing a trade agreement with Japan. In recent years, increasingly active interest to the mining industry has become apparent; amounts of foreign investments in natural resources development have been also increasing. At the same time, according to S. Batbold, Mongolia is interested in the development of enterprises producing goods with high added value.

Shi Xiushi, Chairman of the Committee for Economy and Finance of the PRC National People's Congress, noted in his speech that the BEF has already played an active role in APR stimulating economic development. However, the governments of Russia and China set the goal to increase bilateral trade to U.S. $ 100 billion, to increase bilateral investment. "Baikal Forum is of great importance for both Europe and Asia," said Shi Xiushi, "China, especially the Northeast, is interested in the development of Siberia and the Far East in order to achieve greater economic success in the future."

"We should ensure that Russia becomes a WTO member," said P. Lellouche, Minister for Foreign Trade of France, at the opening ceremony, "We hope that Russia and France will cooperate in tourism, energy and constructing of aircrafts."