European Regions meet in Perm. By Sergey Klimov (Rus)
In Russia we often refer to Europe as our common home. Many citizens of other European countries are of the same opinion. It is not by chance that Charles de Gaulle, the legendary French president used to speak of Europe “from the Atlantics to the Urals”. However, when the issue of partnership and cooperation in European space is brought up, it usually presupposes cooperation with other European states or their unions (for instance, Russia – the EU).
Meanwhile, there is another important aspect of cooperation, which is known as “The Europe of Regions”. Moreover, in the European Union itself there are quite a few people who see its future in the growing influence of pan-European institutions, on the one hand, and of regional authorities, on the other (accompanied by the decreasing role of individual states and regional governments). It is not for us Russians to judge how European integration will go on developing under the umbrella of Brussels, but I would like to remind that, according to the Russian constitution, Russia is a federation where regions enjoy a high degree of independence, including that on the international level.
As member of the Perm Krai Parliament, on the one hand, and General Manager of one of Russia’s largest international exhibition centres, I can see very well the vast potential of direct international connections on the level of regions. Saying that, I mean not only the contacts between governors and city mayors, members of local parliaments and city administration officers, but also direct cooperation among business people, scientists, artists, young people, etc.
This is why my colleagues and I have put forward the initiative of holding a large-scale international conference with the working title “The Forum of Regions” in Perm, a city with a million residents, situated in the West Urals.
The idea to hold this Forum was supported not only by Perm Krai Governor Oleg Chirkunov and the Krai Government, but also received a serious support from Moscow and Brussels.
This spring we, with the participation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Duma’s International Affairs Committee established direct working contact with EU Committee of Regions, the EU Delegation in Moscow, Embassies of European countries, Association of European Businesses in Russia, and the European Parliament.
One of the members of the Forum Steering Board is Arkady Arianoff, Director of Belgian-Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce for Russia and Belarus (www.ccblr.org). He has already established contact with several hundred European business people who became interested in our conference. Together with this Chamber of Commerce and with the support of the EU Committee of Regions a special briefing is to be held on September 9 in Brussels with the participation of Gerhard Stahl, Secretary General of the Committee of Regions. Over one hundred people from different EU countries expressed their wish to participate in this preliminary meeting devoted to the organization of the Forum.
Before the briefing, a meeting was held in the Swedish Embassy (in the framework of Swedish EU Presidency), where ambassadors of EU countries discussed the details of this conference, and several ambassadors confirmed their wish to come to Perm on October 20-21 to participate in it.
The conference itself will include discussions on a wide range of topics (the draft programme may be found at www.ruseu.com: http://ru.ruseu.com/projects/details_48.html). More than that, we consider this conference to be a joint project carried out together with our Russian and foreign colleagues. This is why the Forum Steering Board will welcome any suggestions regarding the programme of our international conference (proposals will be accepted until October 1, 2009 at forum_regions@ruseu.com; participation requests should be sent to the same address).
One of the issues we are definitely going to discuss is the economic situation and the consequences of the global economic crisis, as well as the ways European regions are overcoming its negative effects. Among the proposed topics are the issues of environmental protection, public security, cooperation of small and middle-sized businesses, cultural cooperation, sports and tourism, development of transportation and international transport corridors, creation of favourable investment climate, information support of regions.
I would like to stress that the aim of the Forum is not only for its participants to familiarize themselves with Perm Krai, its authorities and businesses, but also to make contacts with dozens of Russian regions that intend to use our international conference as a ground for meetings, negotiations and presentation of their own regions and businesses.
Many federal ministries, the Russian Parliament and Russian President’s Plenipotentiary Representative in Privolzhsky Federal District Grigory Rappota have shown interest in the organization of the conference. The Forum will provide an interesting cultural and entertainment programme, and its participants will be able to publish their reports and messages in its final documents. The working languages of the Forum are English and Russian (simultaneous translation will be provided at all programme meetings).
Our conference will receive full real-time coverage at www.ruseu.com, which is read in 88 countries of the world in three languages. This web site will also publish all the final documents. Besides, the conference has already attracted the attention of many Russian and foreign journalists.
Preparing the Forum of the Regions in Perm, we expect to receive mainly representatives of Russian an EU regions and businesses. However, I must say that we are open for representatives of other countries and regions. We are already receiving such participation requests.
Perm is a two hours' flight away from Moscow. Several Moscow airports operate daily service to Perm (there are morning, daytime and evening flights). Perm can also be reached directly from the EU by Lufthansa (this German company is ready to assist visitors of the Forum). You can come to Perm by railway, by car or by boat up the Kama River. Our city has a sufficient number of comfortable European-level hotels and everything that is needed for successful work. The time zone difference is +2 hours to Moscow time or +4 hours to Brussels.
We are sure that the first Forum of this kind in the industrial centre of Russia on the border between Europe and Asia will be interesting and useful for all our guests and participants. Welcome to Perm!
Director General of the "Permskaya Yarmarka" Exhibition Centre, deputy of the regional parliament