Events
External Economic Activity / Cooperation between Krasnodar Region and foreign states
Switzerland
Cooperation
between Krasnodar Region and Switzerland
(reference information)
1 Stages in establishing relations
On 23 June 2003 a delegation of advisors to the Embassy of Switzerland led by the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Switzerland in Russia, Walter Fecherin, visited Krasnodar Region, with the aim of learning about the modern politico-economic and social environment in Krasnodar Region. A meeting was held of delegates with the Governor of Krasnodar Region, Alexander Tkachev, and also with heads of departments of the Region. Agreements reached within the framework of the meeting served as the basis for realisation in Krasnodar Region of several major joint projects in the sphere of tourism and agriculture. Particular interest was raised by projects for development of the Krasnaya Polyana mountain resort and the wine making sphere.
2 Visits by delegations from Krasnodar Region and the Swiss Confederation
In October 2007 the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Switzerland in Russia, Erwin Hofer, was present in Krasnodar Region on a working visit. The main aim of the trip was to learn about the economic potential of the Kuban and to participate in the Kuban 2004 international economic forum in Sochi.
On 1 November 2007 the Russia: the Market of the Future forum was held in Zurich, one of the questions of which was the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The Head of the Department of External Economic Activity of Krasnodar Region, Aleksandr Tkachenko, took part in the event and made a report.
Approximately 50 representatives of the business world of the South of Russia, including Krasnodar Region, took part in the work of the SwissForum 2007, held from 9 to 15 December 2007 in Lucerne, Switzerland. At the forum questions of development and prospects for Russo-Swiss trade and investment cooperation were discussed.
In April 2008 a delegation from the business circles of Switzerland was present in Krasnodar Region, arriving in Sochi to visit the construction sites of construction of Olympic facilities. The delegation was led by a representative of the Ambassador of Switzerland, Elena Groshkova. Members of the delegation met with the deputy head of the town of Sochi, KE Mischenkok, when opportunities for Swiss business in the region were discussed.
3 External trade turnover
According to statistics from the Southern Customs Department on results of 2007 the external trade turnover of Krasnodar Region with the Switzerland totalled $43.55 million, and the balance of trade was negative at -$38.42 million.
Imports were carried out to a value of $40.98 million, and main imports included:
food products ($33.18 million);
medical equipment ($2.03 million);
machine engineering products ($0.79 million).
Exports were carried out to a value of $2.56 million, and main exports included:
timber ($884 000), etc.
Results for three quarters of 2008 show that the external trade turnover of Krasnodar Region with the Switzerland totalled $41.59 million, and the trade balance was negative at -$40.44 million.
Imports were carried out to a value of $41.02 million, and main imports were:
food products ($36.91 million);
equipment ($1.86 million);
chemical products ($0.30 million), etc.
Exports for the given period totalled $0.58 million, and the main exports were:
timber ($10 700), etc.
4 Swiss businesses in Krasnodar Region; signing of documents and investment cooperation
Within the framework of the III international economic forum Kuban 2004 in Sochi the Nestle company and the Administration of Krasnodar Region signed an Investment Agreement. On the basis of the signing of the agreement one of the largest projects in the region was realised: construction by Nestle Kuban of a full-cycle factory producing Nescafe instant coffee in the town of Timashevsk.
With the framework of the VI international investment forum Sochi 2007 the Administration of Krasnodar Region signed with the Von During Management AG company (Lucerne canton) an agreement on construction of six hypermarkets of construction materials in the Region (€60 million) and the Karasun residential complex in Krasnodar (€60 million). Financing of the project is planned to be 100% by the Swiss partner's side, and the total cost of the project will be approximately €120 million).
At the international investment forum Sochi 2007 the Administration of Krasnodar Region signed a protocol of intention with the Kempinski company on construction of four Kempinski hotels in Sochi and a golf club on the Black Sea coast in the Region.
In October 2008 the Nestle company signed an investment agreement with Krasnodar Region on expanding the coffee factory by introducing new advanced technology for production of instant coffee. The agreement was signed by the Executive Vice President of Nestle, Luis Cantarell and the First Vice Governor of Krasnodar Region, Evgenii Muravev. The amount of investment over the entire construction of the factory amounted to approximately $120 million. From 2006 to 2008 investment in further development of production totalled approximately 950 million rubles. Nestle Kuban is the twelfth Nestle factory in the Russian Federation.
The Swiss company Ameropa AG (Basel Canton) carried out construction of a factory to produce mineral fertilisers on the Taman peninsula in Krasnodar Region. The total cost of the project, totally financed by the Swiss partner, amounted to more than €500 million. Swiss businessmen consider that the future factory will be able to work not only on the domestic Russian market, but also export ammonium, methanol and urea.
5 Humanitarian cooperation
In November 2007 a representative of the Les Roches higher school of hotel management, Regional Director Roger Hoiter, visited Krasnodar Region. Within the framework of the visit the Swiss guests met with the Head of the Department for Complex Development of Resorts and Tourism, Yuri Pozhidaev. During the meeting the prospects for cooperation between the Department and Swiss businessmen in the field of staff training for the tourist business in connection with new accommodation facilities for the 2014 Olympics were discussed.
In October 2008 within the framework of the Regional Special Programme, Young Staff in the Economy of the Kuban, a presentation was made of the educational programme of the best Swiss schools for hotel management, Les Roches and Glion. The International School of Business has been working with the above schools in Krasnodar Region for three years.
