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www.amcham.ru/advocacy/community/stpeteeconforum

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Jun 07, 2008: AmCham takes part in three events at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum

The American Chamber of Commerce in

Russia

organized or co-organized three events at the 2008 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

On June 7, the heads of twenty AmCham companies met for a roundtable, chaired by AmCham President Andrew Somers, at the Astoria Hotel. The roundtable provided an opportunity for AmCham member companies to discuss with U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Russia. Secretary Gutierrez also came to the roundtable with members of the President’s Export Council, who will be presenting a report to President Bush.

Photographs from the forum featuring AmCham President Andrew Somers and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez
[click for bigger pictures]

Later on June 7, Mr. Somers joined another panel discussion in an event co-organized with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. The Union’s President, Alexander Shokin, chaired the discussion, while the guest panel consisted of Mr. Somers (President, AmCham), Mr. Shokhin (President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs) Carlos Gutierrez (Secretary, U.S. Chamber of Commerce), Elvira Nabiullina (Minister, Ministry for Economic Development for the Russian Federation), Victor Vekselberg (Chairman of the Board of Directors, Renova Group of Companies; Executive Director, Gas Business Development, TNK-BP), and Thomas J. Donohue (President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce).

Leading American and Russian CEOs were in the audience, while the panel discussed key aspects for developing the U.S.-Russian economic relationship moving forward. Also during the panel discussion, participants announced the launch of the Russian-American Business Dialogue.

On June 9, President Somers participated in a panel discussion, “Russian Technologies and Intellectual Services,” moderated by Sergei Kravchenko, President, Boeing Russia/CIS. This panel discussion examined the need to organize a mutually beneficial two-way exchange of technology and intellectual services between Russia and the West.