“Establishing exchange-oriented associations like the Business Council reflects the current trend to develop and broaden economic cooperation between Russia and Switzerland across the board”, says Viktor Nelyubin, the Council’s president.
The Business Council is a public organisation that is mostly comprised of mediumsized and small Russian companies looking to develop joint projects with Swiss partners. As of now, about 50 Russian companies from various sectors and different regions of Russia have shown interest in participating in the Business Council.
This means that government institutions are not represented in the Council, which enjoys the support of public organisations such as the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Consequently, the Council does not require any specialised legal framework, as it is guided by the actions of the two previously mentioned organisations as well as the Russian Economic Development Ministry.
The Business Council is a non-profit organisation and its activities are financed by voluntary one-time contributions made by its member companies.
These are primarily big Russian corporations active on the Swiss market, such as the Renova Group.
The Council quickly established business contacts with Switzerland’s leading business associations, such as Economiesuisse, Swissmem and the SECO.
In practising its activities, the Council takes into account the differences between Russian and Swiss state systems, so it pays a good deal of attention to finding companies in Russian regions interested in establishing contacts with Swiss counterparts at the cantonal level. A number of such contacts were established during the Week of Canton de Vaud recently held in Moscow. Preparations are now underway to hold a similar week-long event for the Ticino canton which Chiara Simoneschi-Cortesi, former Speaker of the Swiss National Council, has contributed to organising.
Over the few months that have passed since the Business Council was established, significant interest in its activities has been perceived coming from Swiss parties as well. During President Medvedev’s visit to Switzerland, it was agreed that a Swiss business council for cooperation with Russia would soon be founded.
The Business Council draws support for its activities from government institutions and in turn, helps them resolve problems that can be more easily solved from a business perspective. In this capacity, the Council’s chairman and executive secretary participate in the joint Russian-Swiss intergovernmental commission headed by Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy, and Monika Ruhl Burzi, from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
It is important to create a favourable legal environment for Russian companies in Switzerland and for Swiss companies in Russia. This is why the Council has actively participated in working on drafting new agreements between the two countries to support and protect mutual investments and to set up a free trade zone as well.
At the practical level, one of the Council’s current key objectives is finding adequate Swiss partners for Russian firms that aren’t familiar with the Swiss marketplace.
In order to achieve this goal, it organises information and legal support for their activities in Switzerland, among other things. The Business Council's website is currently under construction and is expected to be a valuable asset.
ALEXEI PODYMOV
