On October 22, 2008, the first Arab exhibition in Moscow, the Arabia-EXPO, was opened at the modern squares of the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center. Its business part was a major business forum - the anniversary session of the Russian-Arab Business Council, dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the organization. The solemn meeting was attended by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, President of the RF TP Evgeny Primakov.
In a festive atmosphere, to the sound of a drum roll, the Arabia-Expo exhibition was opened, which included fourteen national expositions of Arab countries, among which were the pavilions of Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates , Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. The thematic sections of the exhibition covered many areas of mutual interest - light and food industries, construction and real estate, energy, tourism and hospitality, and many other industries. Russian companies also presented their products at the exhibition.
The atmosphere of hospitality and the national color of the Arab East welcomed every visitor to this exhibition. Numerous companies represented in national pavilions have demonstrated their traditional products and services: Lebanese mosaics, Tunisian dates and olive oil, knitwear and souvenirs, Jordanian Dead Sea cosmetics. And all this, along with large-scale projects in the field of construction and real estate, industry and energy. Particularly noteworthy are the sponsors of the exhibition, among which was the Ras Al Khaimah Free Economic Zone. Representatives of this SEZ took an active part and interest in holding the first Arab exhibition in the Russian capital.
Representative delegations from 18 Arab states, led by ministers and presidents of chambers of commerce and industry, arrived in Moscow to participate in the business program of the exhibition. Representatives of the Russian and Arab business took part in the plenary session.
The president of the RF CCI Evgeni Maksimovich Primakov opened the anniversary session. He noted that the RADS has stood the test of time, according to the results of 2007, mutual trade between Russia and the Arab world has grown, compared to 2000, several times and exceeded the amount of $ 7 billion. This, says Yevgeny Primakov, is a very significant indicator, although it does not fully correspond to the potential. In addition to traditional trade, in recent years the first sprouts in investment cooperation have appeared. This is natural, since the Russian and Arab economies are mutually complementary in a number of areas, and common interests have appeared in the production, scientific and technical spheres.
Yevgeny Primakov emphasized that the Arabia-EXPO exhibition is the largest event in Russian-Arab relations over the past decades and the first in Russia is the result of a long and persistent joint work of the Russian and Arab parties.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a greeting from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to participants in the anniversary session of the Russian-Arab Business Council (RABS) and the Arabia-EXPO exhibition. In it, in particular, it was said: “In a relatively short period of time, the RADC and bilateral business councils operating under its auspices have made a significant contribution to enhancing Russian-Arab relations in the trade, economic, investment, scientific and technical and humanitarian spheres. The striking result of this work is the first organization in Moscow exhibition "ArabiaEXPO 2008", which is designed to become a new platform for communication between Russian and Arab entrepreneurs, the conclusion of mutually beneficial contracts. It is to expand relations between business communities s see the main reserve of deepening cooperation between Russia and the Arab countries, filling it with new content. "
In his speech, the Minister presented the views of the Russian side on the development of the situation in the world, noted that the Russian Federation is building its relations with Arab states on the principles of equality, respect, and mutual understanding. “Cooperation with Arab countries is an important factor in building a multipolar world,” said Sergey Lavrov.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak greeted those gathered on behalf of the head of the Russian government and expressed confidence that economic cooperation between Russia and the Arab world would develop dynamically. The pace gained allows us to firmly count on this, Dmitry Kozak said, emphasizing that the experience of Arab builders could be useful in implementing one of the largest Russian projects - preparing for the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Adnan Kassar, President of the Council of the General Union of Arab, Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, said in response that "the Arab world considers Russia to be the most important crossroads of the modern world, a point of attraction, its natural ally." He expressed confidence that the exhibition will become a successful and very important stage in the development of cooperation, that an increasing number of companies and firms, from large to small, will jointly develop and solve new projects in a wide variety of areas - construction, new technologies, finance, fishing, agriculture and so on.
"The Arabia-EXPO exhibition is a testament to our interest in each other," said Vladimir Evtushenkov, chairman of the Russian part of the RADS, chairman of the Board of Directors of AFK Sistema. “For many entrepreneurs, the exhibition can become a launching pad, the beginning of many years of cooperation. Once contacts were established at the level of capitals, today business goes to the regions. By the way, a number of Russian regions, for example, Samara and Tyumen regions, are presented at the exhibition. One of the reasons The creation of the RADS is an urgent need for adequate information, and the RADS was able to provide this information to entrepreneurs. Fifteen bilateral business councils created by the Russian side together with partners work under the auspices of the RADS Arab countries. "
Representatives of the Arab countries also spoke about the history of cooperation and prospects, about new areas of joint efforts. Those present heard presentations by the Minister of Foreign Trade of Morocco, Abdel Latif Maazouz, the Minister of Industry of Lebanon, Ghazi Zaitra, and the Deputy Minister of Trade of Iraq, Sueyba Mahmoud Zangaly. In a festive atmosphere, an agreement was signed on the establishment of the Russian-Palestinian Business Council, which became the sixteenth bilateral council formed under the RABS. On the Russian side, the document was signed by the chairman of the Russian part of the RADS, chairman of the Board of Directors of AFK Sistema Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and on the Palestinian side by the president of Padiko, Munib Al-Masri.
The organizers and participants of the exhibition agreed that the first Arab exhibition in Moscow was successful and aroused interest from both the Arab and Russian participants. Given the existing mutual interest and desire to develop cooperation in holding exhibitions both in Russia and in many countries of the Arab world, it was decided to increase efforts and expand cooperation in holding the second Arabia-EXPO exhibition in Moscow and in organizing Russian exhibitions in Arab countries.
