News

September 17, 2012

METROPOL Group of Companies is a strategic partner of the Baikal Economic Forum

The VII Baikal Economic Forum International Conference was organized by the Federation Council and government of Buryatia, with the support of the Ministry of Regional Development and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District. METROPOL Group of Companies was the Strategic Partner of the Forum The status of the Forum’s Strategic Partner reflects the endeavor of METROPOL Group of Companies to fully support the development of the Republic of Buryatia in shaping its economic infrastructure based on innovative strategies in science and industry.

Among the BEF participants were representatives of federal authorities, supervisory officials of Russian Federation constituent entities and local authorities, public organizations and associations, businessmen, scientists, public figures of Russia, as well as guests from the U.S., India, China, Japan, the EU and the CIS – overall about 15 countries. The conference was also attended by presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, Head of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Head of the Republic of Buryatia Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn, Deputy Head of the Federation Council Vyacheslav Shtyrov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Energy Ivan Grachev, President of OJSC Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District Viktor Tolokonsky, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology Mikhail Slipenchuk and others. The agenda included over 12 events, which were attended by 2,500 people. Within the business agenda of the Forum a series of meetings and round table discussions addressed issues regarding energy, transport infrastructure and the construction of roads, power lines, power facilities, the preservation and development of small villages and education and potential of youth.

The entertainment program of the Forum was diverse. The presentation of the educational project Planet Baikal, which includes a film of the same name and a scientific publication. The organizers are Corporation Roskosmos, the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Buryatia and METROPOL Group of Companies. The film Planet Baikal is a unique experiment of Russian cosmonauts and scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences within the International expedition MIRs on Baikal. The film was presented to the public by its authors – Gayane Petrosyan and Larisa Smirnova.

The second significant event of the Baikal Forum was the presentation of the International Art Forum Baikal Harbor. The goal of this multi-format project is to develop in the Baikal region all trends of contemporary art, to integrate ancient traditions of the region’s peoples into the international cultural context. The project is designed as a tool for an image-building promotion of the Baikal region both in Russia and globally, as well as an effective means to increase the investment attractiveness of the region. Initiators of the Art Forum are the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Buryatia, the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal, METROPOL Group of Companies and the Voice of Nomads music festival.

The main result of the Forum was the signing of investment agreements with businessmen of South Korea, China and Russia for a total of 69 billion rubles.

Head of the Republic of Buryatia Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn, Head of the Federation Council V. Matvienko, Chairman of the People’s Khural (Parliament) of the Republic of Buryatia M. Gershevich next to the stand of METROPOL Group of Companies

Forum Opening

Presentation of the Planet Baikal educational project

Director of the Baikal Institute of Environmental Management A. Tulokhonov, project authors L. Smirnova and G. Petrosyan, Deputy Head of Special Projects Department of METROPOL Group of Companies I. Krylova, and Director for Regional Activities of IFC METROPOL B. Tsyrenov