Events
External Economic Activity / Cooperation between Krasnodar Region and foreign states
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(reference information)
The Administration of Krasnodar Region pays particular attention to development of international and foreign trade contacts of the region with European countries. Great Britain is traditionally a significant foreign trade partner of Krasnodar Region.
1. Visits by Krasnodar Region and United Kingdom delegations, presentations and congress exhibition events.
From 23 to 25 April 2006 the 9th Russian Economic Forum was held in London, with the Governor of Krasnodar Region, Alexander Tkachev, taking part. Within the framework of this major international event a presentation was given of the economic and investment potential of the Southern Federal District, in particular Krasnodar Region. Information about priority fields of the region for investment and about investment projects already being carried out excited major interest on the part of the participants of the forum.
From 1 to 4 May 2006 a presentation was given of Krasnodar Region in London, in which heads of the Administration and organs of executive power of Krasnodar Region, heads of local authorities and leading businesses from the Region.
The main event of the business programme was the conference entitled Krasnodar Region and the United Kingdom (Great Britain): opportunities and prospects for development of cooperation, in which more than 230 people took part.
Within the framework of this event meetings were held between the Governor of Krasnodar Region Alexander Tkachev and the Business Group Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Russia, Central Europe and Special Projects, Alain Pilloux, Communications Director of the London 2012 committee Jackie Brock-Doyle, member of the House of Lords Baroness Smith, CEO of CityGroup Shirish Apte. A meeting and negotiations were successfully held with representatives of Transport for London (the municipal transport service in London).
A presentation of Krasnodar Region was also given at the London Stock Exchange to representatives of investment funds and companies, in which representatives of 20 English companies took part. In addition, a delegation from Krasnodar Region took part in a specialised business programme, Olympic London.
The following took part in the presentation: the Ambassador of Russia in Great Britain Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director of the Russian-British Chamber of Commerce Lord Godfrey Cromwell, representatives of the Foreign Office of Great Britain, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the London Stock Exchange, representatives of political, business and social circles of Great Britain. The total number of foreign participants in the presentation of the Region in London was more than 300.
Within the framework of the presentation a range of documents were signed, including a Memorandum on cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Within the framework of the Memorandum the EBDR will actively lend to banks in Krasnodar Region under a programme to finance small business.
In 2007 the Sochi International Investment Forum was attended by a representative of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in Russia, Laurie Bristow, whose personal participation in this significant event reflected the mutual interest of the parties in cooperation.
In January 2008 a visit took place by representatives of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Sochi.
With the aim of developing business relations between representatives of small and medium sized business of Sochi and the business community of Great Britain, on 14 January 2008 a meeting was held in the Administration of Sochi of members of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives of the Administration of Sochi led by the First Deputy of the Mayor of Sochi Konstantin Mischenko. During the event the guests were given a presentation of the Olympic conception of Sochi, the project to create the sporting infrastructure for hosting the XXII Winter Olympic Games in 2014 in Sochi, questions were discussed on establishing cooperation and organisation of cooperation between the parties, creating supplementary educational programmes to raise the level of knowledge of English of the population of Sochi.
From 13 to 15 February 2008 Krasnodar Region was visited by a delegation of representatives of business circles of Great Britain, representing sporting industry in the following fields: urban, architectural and engineering project design, planning of transport systems, consulting in the sphere of holding major international events, insurance of construction projects, holding of communication, management, construction, planning, production and sales, media services.
The main aim of the visit was to learn about the Olympic infrastructure of Sochi, to meet with representatives of the Administrations of Krasnodar Region and Sochi to establish a bilateral dialogue on questions of development of cooperation and exchange of experience in connection with preparations to hosting the Olympic Games in Sochi and in London.
In Sochi members of the delegation visited the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort, and met with representatives of the local Administration.
The delegation arrived in Krasnodar on 15 February. A meeting and getting to know the members of the delegation gave the opportunity to discuss current questions of development of Olympic facilities in Sochi and London, to learn about projects being realised by companies, establish personal contacts with the heads of major English firms representing the sports industry of Great Britain.
Members of the delegation showed interest in continuing the dialogue begun within the framework of the Sochi International Investment Forum. Representatives of English companies noted the high level of carrying out of preparatory work for the Olympics, expressed their interest in English business in taking part in various projects in the context of preparation for the Olympic Games.
In September 2008 at the annual Sochi International Investment Forum Caroline Wilson, Director of Trade and Investment in Russia of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Russian Federation, took part.
From 18 to 25 March of this year a delegation of representatives of the West Midlands in Great Britain led by the head of the Chamber of Commerce of Herefordshire and Worcester Mike Ashton, made a working visit to Krasnodar Region. The delegation included experts from the Chamber of Commerce and managers of companies representing such fields as international trade, education, sport, and tourism. The aim of the visit was to hold introductory meetings with the managements of organs of executive power in Krasnodar Region, determine priority areas for bilateral cooperation, establish direct contacts with business and organsations in Krasnodar Region, and to take part in the Create Yourself international forum.
The visit consisted of two stages: on 19 March delegates held productive negotiations with the First Deputy Head of the Department of External Economic Activity of Krasnodar Region, Denis Zabolotnii, and in the afternoon a meeting took place at the mayoralty of Krasnodar, at which the Deputy Heads of Krasnodar, Oleg Radchenko and Aleksandr Kolontaevskii, as well as the Chair of the City Duma, Nikolai Kotlyarov, were present.
At the meeting with the Department questions were discussed of support to Kuban exporters and the possibility of establishing direct contacts between agricultural concerns in the two regions. There was also an exchange of information materials and the most beneficial areas for bilateral cooperation were identified. During negotiations a plan of action was fixed for the near future, and agreement was reached on holding the next meeting in an expanded form within the framework of the Sochi 2009 International Investment Forum, which will be held from 17 to 20 September 2009.
On 20 March this year in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Krasnodar Region negotiations took place with the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yuri Tkachenko, First Deputy Head of the Department for Complex Development of Resorts and Tourism, Galina Shoshinaya, and representatives of business circles of Krasnodar. At the meeting questions were discussed of further cooperation between the Chambers of Commerce of the two regions and priority projects for cooperation in the fields of tourism and recreation, and individual negotiations also took place.
Also during the visit to Krasnodar a meeting was held with the Head of the Department for Physical Education and Sport of Krasnodar Region, Ludmila Chernova, which was attended by both the representatives of the business circles of the West Midlands and by instructors from Sports Science faculties of English institutions of higher education. These negotiations were the continuation of a discussion begun during a visit by a Krasnodar Region delegation to London in July 2008, and at this stage representatives of the British side made concrete proposals for realisation of joint projects in the field of sport.
The second part of the visit took place in Sochi. From 22 to 24 March there were plans to learn about the resort itself and the Krasnaya Polyana region, to hold meetings in the mayoralty of Sochi and negotiations with the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sochi and business circles.
2. Foreign trade turnover
In 2007 the foreign trade turnover of Krasnodar Region with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland totalled $22.54 million. The balance of trade was negative (-$15.16 million).
Exports were carried out to a value of $3.7 million, and the main types of export were:
machine engineering products ($2.93 million).
Imports were carried out to a value of $18.6 million, and the main types of import were:
food products and raw materials for their production ($851 800);
tractors ($279 700);
chemicals industry ($190 300).
According to Customs statistics in 2008 the foreign trade turnover of Krasnodar Region with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland totalled $64.8 million. The balance of trade was negative (-$500 000).
Imports were carried out to a value of $32.7 million, and the main types of import were:
food products (more than $1 million);
machine engineering products ($6.5 million).
Exports were carried out to a value of $32.1 million.
3. Businesses using British capital in Krasnodar Region
There are businesses with 100% or partial English capital successfully carrying out their activities in Krasnodar Region. The following companies are operating in Krasnodar Region: Novorossiiskaya Stroitelnaya Kompaniya (transport processing and freight storage), Roskhimtreid (transshipping of liquid chemical cargos), Azov-Kamish (production of decorative reed clusters, panels and mats), Apsheronsklesprom (timber processing, production of wooden building constructions), Afipskoe Proizvodstvennoe Predpriyatie (secondary raw materials processing), Agrosoyuz Kuban (agricultural equipment and machinery), Coleman Services Krasnodar (personnel recruitment, consulting), Trest Yuzhnii Sakhar (food products and drinks), Vina Miskhako Investment (production and realisation of wine products), Intertech Testing Service-Novorossiisk (transport, logistics), Cargo Inspections (transport activity, 100% foreign capital), Chernomorskaya Kompaniya po Obsluzhivaniya Sudokhodnikh Predpriyatii (renting of marine and river transport vehicles with crews), Futura (construction and fitting work), Artisan (production and realisation of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products).
Within the Region investment projects are also being carried out with the use of capital from Great Britain: Siti Tsentr completed construction of a shopping and entertainment centre in Krasnodar at a cost of €15 million, Ekman Holding Ltd in 2006 began realisation of a project costing €4 million to equip with modern medical equipment and modernise equipment in the operating wings in 50 medical establishments in the Region: the Holt Global company plans to carry out reconstruction of the Eisk-Port-Vista oil transshipping facility with expansion of the reservoir park at a cost of €3.5 million.
In Krasnodar Region the following English companies have opened their own representations: Smith Okto-Luktrans Ltd (management of marine and coastal oil terminals) and Moore Stephens Kuban Ltd (consulting, auditing).
The Honourary Consul of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, Clive Rumens, President of Transport and Services, is successfully carrying out his activities in the south of Russia.
4. Humanitarian cooperation
In connection with the International Olympic Committee's decision on holding the Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in 2014 in Sochi, during 2007 and 2008 the work of further vocational education systems in the Region was activated through international cooperation, including cooperation from Great Britain. Within the framework of international cooperation over the last year and a half the Department of Education and Science of Krasnodar Region with the support of the Association of Educational Establishments for Further Vocational Education on the Kuban have organised and carried out four seminars for managers of further vocational educational establishments in Great Britain. Within the territory of Krasnodar Region three seminars have been carried out on in depth study of English language and training of personnel of organisations in the spheres of service and tourism.
Among events in which representatives of Great Britain took part organised by the Department of Education and Science of Krasnodar Region at the level of the Head of the Administration (Governor) of Krasnodar Region the following stand out:
17 directors of colleges in Krasnodar Region visited Great Britain to study the experience of work of British colleges with employers, in July 2007;
a representative of the London Consortium, Dorothy Jones, and the School of Thought 2000 company took part in the work of the annual conference of Krasnodar Region colleges in Sochi;
participation of the director of the British School of Thought 200 consulting company AV Zhabina in the work of the VI International Investment Forum Sochi 2007, September 2007 in Sochi;
a delegation of managers of London colleges visited Krasnodar Region, during the visit delegates visited local educational establishments, carried out short term courses on raising qualifications, in January 2008;
participation by a delegation of directors of colleges and representatives of universities in Great Britain in the work of the VII Educational Forum Create Yourself, March 2008 in Krasnodar;
participation by directors of colleges and representatives of universities in Great Britain in the VII International Investment Forum Sochi 2008, in September 2008 in Sochi.
In May 2008 a delegation from the Leeds Metropolitan University took part in a conference on training staff for the Olympics in Sochi, which was held in the Sochi State University of Tourism and Resort Business.
In July 2008 a delegation from the Department of Education and Science of Krasnodar Region and the Department of Sports Science and Sport of Krasnodar Region visited London by invitation of the London Consortium. Agreements were reached on cooperation of educational establishments in Krasnodar Region and Great Britain.
In December 2008 jointly with British colleagues in the town of Anapa a seminar was carried out on the change over to autonomous educational establishments.
Establishments of further vocational education in Krasnodar Region are actively working with establishments of vocational training in Great Britain in studying the international experience on training professional personnel. The result of joint work is the projects realised by 9 such establishments. For example, the Leningrad Teacher Training College is working with the British consulting company Shkola Misli 2000, and colleges in Great Britain. On its basis programmes are being introduced to train specialists on social and professional required specialised in the sphere of hotel and restaurant service, tourism, sport and leisure, raising qualifications and retraining of staff in service skills, in business and professional English language, training of teachers and students to take the IELTS international English language exam.
Recognition of the high quality of educational services can be considered the fact that the Leningrad Pedagogical College was named by the Walsall College in Great Britain as a educational establishment where teachers and students undergo education in Russian language. In addition, on the base of the college it is planned to create a Regional resource centre on realising international projects.
With the aim of future cooperation and development of joint programmes of cooperation between educational establishments in Krasnodar Region and Great Britain in June 2008 a three way contract was signed on cooperation between the Department of Education and Science of Krasnodar Region, the British Schkola Misli 2000 consulting company, and the non-profit organisation Association of Educational Establishments for Further Vocational Education of the Kuban. A subject for cooperation is international level preparation of qualified staff by educational establishments in Krasnodar Region, including for the hosting of the Olympic Games.
Traditionally, artistic groups in the Kuban take part in the annual Russian Winter festival, which is held in London.
Between the towns of Krasnodar Region and Great Britain twin town relations have been established: Novorossiisk and Plymouth have been twin towns since 1965, and Sochi and Cheltenham since 1959.
Jointly with the Rendezvous Society from the twin town of Cheltenham (Great Britain) an annual youth conference A Step to the Future is held for young people from 18 to 20 years old. The youth conference is aimed at expanding the frame of knowledge of various valuables in the world and to provide support in using the opportunities of global citizenship for the benefit of future generations. At the seminars and round table discussions questions are discussed on protecting the environment, attracting the younger generation to nature conservation activities, a trend to development of positive changes in the society of the country, and the catalyst which participants in such conferences will become.
