Dmitry Medvedev: “Countries of the Asia-Pacific Region are developing very fast. They already account for 60% of the Gross World Product and almost 45% of all direct foreign investment. This giant market opens up tremendous opportunities, and we should make the most of them.”
Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks:
Meeting on developing cooperation with countries of the Asia-Pacific Region
We have a cool meeting today, to use a colloquial expression, devoted to the Asia-Pacific Region and our cooperation with the countries of this highly important part of the world.
Countries of the Asia-Pacific Region are developing very fast. They already account for 60% of the Gross World Product and almost 45% of all direct foreign investment. This giant market opens up tremendous opportunities, and we should make the most of them.
Our Presidency of the APEC forum held in 2012 and the APEC Summit in Vladivostok were a vivid manifestation of our interest in the Asia-Pacific Region. Every such project should yield economic results, so the Government is now actively working on changes in the legislation and on forming a network of so-called advanced development territories in the Far East, Siberia and other areas where this makes sense.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Our Presidency of the APEC forum held in 2012 and the APEC Summit in Vladivostok were a vivid manifestation of our interest in the Asia-Pacific Region. Every such project should yield economic results, so the Government is now actively working on changes in the legislation and on forming a network of so-called advanced development territories in the Far East, Siberia and other areas where this makes sense."
Today our goal is the consistent and mutually advantageous expansion of Russia’s presence in the Asia-Pacific Region. We should make broader use of our intergovernmental commissions and step up work with various regional and sub-regional organisations.
We must intensify our efforts in almost all areas that we’ve put at the top of our list of priorities, expand exports, attract investment and make full use of our traditional advantages, which we do have.
With First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich
We have well-developed contacts in the power industry, including oil and gas, the coal industry, electricity and atomic power engineering. We’re starting to move forward in renewable energy sources as well.
We have strong contacts in space, aircraft building and arms exports. We’ve been in these markets for many years. Border regions are taking an active part in agricultural projects. The Russian GLONASS navigation system is becoming increasingly popular in the civilian sphere. We’ve good opportunities for using the transit potential of our transport system, and for making appropriate decisions. We also have our own tourist industry, which we shouldn’t forget about.
That said, competition on the Asia-Pacific market is very tough. Its players are primarily competing for investors, and so our task (I’m referring to the Government, the regions and the business community) is to markedly improve conditions for domestic and foreign investors, primarily those who’d like to put their money into the Far East and Siberia. This logic goes well with our domestic priorities by allowing us to establish growth points in these areas.
Dmitry Medvedev: "To enhance the domestic appeal of Eastern federal districts we should reduce administrative barriers in the way of business, and create conditions for the formation of different production lines in Russia. I’m referring to high-tech industry, including telecommunications, IT, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals."
To enhance the domestic appeal of Eastern federal districts we should reduce administrative barriers in the way of business, and create conditions for the formation of different production lines in Russia. I’m referring to high-tech industry, including telecommunications, IT, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
I’m certain that we have every opportunity for the further buildup of cooperation with our traditional trade and economic partners. We’ve been developing these relations for decades. Let me recall that China has ranked first in trade with Russia since 2010 and is fourth in the total cumulative investment in the Russian economy. No doubt, China is and will continue to be our key partner.
We are continuing negotiations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on signing an agreement on a free trade area with the Customs Union; in general our relations with Vietnam are developing fairly well.
We’re making headway in our relations with India, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan. We should look more attentively at those countries to which we haven’t yet paid proper attention and thus far neglected potentialities of regional cooperation. The region is huge and the most dynamic, and there are more players with which we should establish trade, economic and investment relations.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Let me recall that China has ranked first in trade with Russia since 2010 and is fourth in the total cumulative investment in the Russian economy. No doubt, China is and will continue to be our key partner."
I think we should form a portfolio of specific projects that will take into account the specific features of the region’s countries and our territories that will take part in these relations with a view to diversifying our economic activities as much as possible and involving all potential partners and investors in our cooperation, all the more so now that we are facing some difficulties in other markets.
Of course, it is impossible to increase cooperation with the Asia- Pacific countries overnight. Its scale is already substantial. We’ll tackle this task in a comprehensive manner. Regional governors, heads of federal agencies and representatives of business communities are present at this meeting. Naturally, I’ll allow anyone to speak who so wishes, in order to describe existing opportunities and problems that we should resolve to step up our cooperation with these countries.
Mr Shuvalov and some other Government members have recently visited China on this peaceful mission.
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