10 years later: The Davos Chronicles of Rustam Minnikhanov
On the threshold of the World Economic Forum Realnoye Vremya thinks of history of RT president’s work on it.
Tomorrow the World Economic Forum starts in Davos, and Rustam Minnikhanov is going to attend it this time. It is his ninth presence at the Swiss resort. The agenda hasn't been announced yet, but the media already knows some information. Minnikhanov has already become a permanent member of the Russian delegation. For the last ten years RT head has become a friend the Forum founder Klaus Schwab, and Davos itself became a major place for seeking for investors for Republican projects.
2007. Davos discovered Minnikhanov and Tatarstan at the same time
For the first time Rustam Minnikhanov attended the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2007, yet as a Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan. It was a debut not only for Minnikhanov, but also for the region as a whole. That year Tatarstan was presented officially for the first time at the World Economic Forum. The topic was 'Oil and global warming'. Russian delegation was presented by the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitriy Medvedev (in a year he became the President of Russia). Rustam Minnikhanov didn't have a chance to have a speech at his first Forum. He was content with a low-profile role of a participant of the plenary meeting 'The paths of development of new Russia: strengths, challenges of growth and new perspectives'.
Minnikhanov was at the Forum for two days in the total. From official events he attended the reception of the head of the European Central Bank, lunch in honour of the newly elected President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, private negotiations with British Petroleum, with Swedish airline SAS, with Morgan Stanley Bank (the very one that in several months became one of the main victims during the mortgage crisis in 2007 in the USA). Besides, Minnikhanov's press office reported that during personal interviews and behind the scenes he managed to talk over with Viktor Yanukovich (at that time – the Prime Minister of Ukraine), with representatives of publishing group Euromoney, Forbes magazine and financial services corporation Citigroup. The main points of most negotiations were not reported, but they resulted in establishing personal business contacts with representatives of the international business community.
2008. If Minnikhanov will not come to Davos, Davos must go to Minnikhanov.
In January 2008, Rustam Minnikhanov didn't become a member of the Russian delegation, however, information about his potential participation had been leaked out on media. Though, in September Minnikhanov managed to organize a visit of the founder and permanent chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab in Kazan. According to the professor, thanks to Minnikhanov's work during previous Forum, the region proved itself. And it was Rustam Nurgalievich who invited Schwab in Kazan. Nevertheless, acquisition of right to host Universiade-2013 played its role too, as Schwab noted Republic's efforts in that field in particular.
WEF representatives and Tatarstan's authorities and business elite talks were conducted in the round-table format in Kazan City Hall. Tatarstan was presented as a region that aims to become the center of world economy. It presented motor-car construction, petrochemistry and agroindustrial complex. Furthermore, for the first time on international level it was said that the Republic was aimed at the development of innovation policy. And Schwab, in his turn, compared the Republic with 'an unopened diamond yet'.
2009. Strengthening friendship with Schwab
Personal contact and warm welcome in Kazan were not in vain. Rustam Minnikhanov did become a member of the Russian delegation, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at that time, in Davos-2009. The main topic of the Forum was overcoming the consequences of the economic crisis. However, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of RT didn't report details of Minnikhanov's visit to the WEF meeting. It was only reported that he met with Schwab again. And allegedly on the latter's initiative. Shafagat Takhautdinov, at that time – a general director of JSC Tatneft, also attended it. It resulted in an invitation of a Swiss Professor to visit Kazan during Sabantuy, a national summer festival. By the way, the visit didn't took place.
2010. Davos déjà vu
In 2010, Rustam Minnikhanov was at the Forum for two days, heading a powerful group from Tatarstan as part of the Russian delegation. The Republic was presented by the general director of JSC KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin, the general director of JSC Tatneft Shafagat Takhautdinov, the general director of JSC TAIF Albert Shigabutdinov. Though, some of the members of the delegation (Sergey Kogogin, at least) had participated in Davos earlier,but was noticed by media for the first time in 2010. However, the Government's press service kept quiet about the details of Tatarstan delegation's activity in the center of worldeconomy. Later, it was reported only that Minnikhanov hold negotiations with Daimler AG and Export-import Bank of China.
It is interesting that in 2010 the situation of last year with Schwab repeated again. Swiss offered a new meeting in Kazan in summer, Rustam Minnikhanov accepted, but the visit didn't take place again.
2011. Fundraising from President
Davos 2011 was the first for Minnikhanov as the President, the first – from the very beginning to the end, and one the most intense for Tatarstan delegation. However, rumour had it that Rustam Minnikhanov after amplification of the terrorist threat and terrorist attack in Domodedovo airport would not come to Forum for security reasons, but the newly-made President did fly to Switzerland.
For three days at Forum Minnikhanov took part at the opening ceremony, at Forum session 'To a new world reality through collaboration and cooperation', at discussion 'Vision for the G20', in traditional working breakfast by the Chairman of the Executive Board of Russian Bank Sberbank Herman Gref.
The main was that in Davos 2011 Rustam Minnikhanov earned a reputation of the main fundraisers of the Republic. It became clear that Minnikhanov as President was aiming to attract serious investments to the region from outside. In particular, he actively sought for partners for Universiade 2013. Rustam Minnikhanov hold negotiations with Coca-Cola company management and with Intel management. He discussed the possibility of City-Bank participation in preparation to hold the Summer Universiade in Kazan with the chief executive of City-Bank on Europe, Middle East and Africa Alberto Verme.
Besides, Rustam Minnikhanov hold meetings with the representatives of Indian Pharmaceutical Company Cadila, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Tomas Mirov, with administration of the partner of Republic projects Yokogawa Electric CIS Ltd., representatives of the investment company Sun Group (India), with partners of JSC KAMAZ.
The meeting with the WEF founder became a tradition. By the way, in summer 2011 Rustam Minnikhanov and Klaus Schwab met once more during Economic Forum in Saint-Petersburg. That time Schwab offered at Forum in 2012 to hold the session on Tatarstan.
At World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland), the world leaders and the participants of the forum were offered to answer the questions of YouTube users. Rustam Minnikhanov was not the exception.
For 1.5 minutes of video presentation a head of Tatarstan spoke about the importance of education and youth. Also, he spoke about necessity of sites for development of innovative activity.
2012. Davos by well-trodden track
Davos 2012 agenda for Rustam Minnikhanov went under the scheme of the previous year. From the official events he attended the section 'Perspectives of Russia', working breakfast by Barclays Capital company, traditional working breakfast of Sberbank by Herman Gref. But the promised session on Tatarstan didn't take place.
During private meetings the emphasis was shifted from the forthcoming Universiade to the new projects, however, there was not much information about most of it. That time, Rustam Minnikhanov hold negotiations with Ronald de Jong, executive vice-president, market manager and a member of executive committee of Philips Electronics company, which they managed to attract to some Republic projects, as well as with PricewaterhouseCoupers (PwC) management. The latter, by the way, became a sponsor of Universiade 2013.
2013. Old Davos partners and seeking for residents for Alabuga
In 2013 at Swissresort, that became the center of world economy, Rustam Minnikhanov went without a traditional large delegation from Tatarstan (among heads of the largest companies only the general director of KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin was noticed by media). However, as Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy Dvorkovich explained, the RT President became one of four heads of the leading regions in Russia.
Most meetings were attended by already known partnersfrom Davos – the founder of WEF and a professor Klaus Schwab, the managing director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Alan Pillu, a Deputy Chairperson of bank investment services department of Barclays Capital Marc Holtzman, a headof Philips Electronics company on interaction with state bodies Gary Hendrix.
Seeking for partners for the SEZ Alabuga was new in the working programme of the President. In particular, on that subjecthe holdnegotiations with executive vice-president of Dow Chemical Company on Europe, Middle East and Africa Heinz Haller.
2014. The year of performance and innovative projects
In 2014, Rustam Minnikhanov for the first time came to Davos Forum not as an ordinary participant of discussions during working sessions, but as a reporter. At 'Russia's regions: drivers of growth' session he presented the experience of Tatarstan as one of the most developed Federal subjects. Besides, his official program was, perhaps, the most intense for all years of his work at Forum. The President of Tatarstan took part in sessions 'Perspectives of Russia', 'Euroasia: New border?', 'BRICS – a crisis of the middle-age?', as well as organized by VTB-Capital a business breakfast and business-lunch'The East Express: Siberia' by Krasnoyarsk Krai's governor Lev Kuznetsov.
At business meetings they put emphasis on innovative projects of Tatarstan: Innopolisand Smart City. Participation in these projects was the topic of discussion for Rustam Minnikhanov with the president of the company Cisco, on work with Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia Chris Dedicoat, with the Chief Technical Officer of an American aerospace corporation Lockheed Martin Ray Johnson, with the Chief Executive Officer and President of Dutch company Danfoss Niels Bjorn Christiansen. By the way, in May Minnikhanov visited headquarters of Danfoss during tripto Denmark.
Also, RT President met with the director on East Europe and CIS countries of the television company CNBC Evgeniya Rogozhina and a managing director, the vice-chairperson of Bank investment services department of Barclays Capital, chairperson of Meridian Capital company Marc Holtzman.
2015. New faces of Tatarstan and old negotiations
Davos 2015 was held in challengingsituation for Russia,when political issues darkened economy. Nevertheless, Rustam Minnikhanov brought to Switzerland a big delegation from Tatarstan and made the programme intense. In addition to Minnikhanov and the heads of the largest enterprises of the region, the Republic was presented by the team of senior officials of Tatarstan: the Prime Minister of Tatarstan Ildar Khalikov, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan Ravil Zaripov, a headof the Agency of investment development of Tatarstan Taliya Minullina.
The Forum started with a performance of famous opera singer Andrea Bocelli, the part of which the President of Tatarstan recorded on video.
Minnikhanov took part in sessions 'Energy geopolitics', 'The new economic architecture of the Eurasian continent', special session on perspectives of Russia's development, business breakfast of Sberbank, business breakfast with participation of Ruanda's President Paul Kagame, and the ex-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair.
At business meetings last year's negotiations with the delegation of Dutch company Danfoss, with the president of Cisco company on Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia and CIS countries Chris Dedicoat continued. Also, Rustam Minnikhanov met with executive vice-president of Ecolab company Christophe Beck, with the Chief Executive Officer and President of Dutch company Danfoss, producer of heating automation and refrigeration equipment, Niels Bjorn Christiansen.
2016. The year with politics, but without investors?
Apparently, in 2016 due to sanctions' conflicts, war in Syria and aggravation of 'migrants' problem, the political agenda will prevaile over economic again, despite the tradition of Davos Forum and its topic 'Leading the Fourth industrial revolution'. From Russia this year neither the President nor Prime Minister, nor even his first Deputy Prime Ministers will go to this Forum. In short, the status of the delegation is lowered. Vice Prime Minister, the presidential envoy in the Far East Yuri Trutnev is entrusted to head the Russian delegation. However, the head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina has become a member of the delegation. 'The Best Leader of the Central Bank of Russia' was claimed to be a member of a discussion on global debt problem. However, almost all experts considered the Russian delegation membership as a demonstration of reorientation of Russia to the East.
'As far as I know, they will discuss the issues of consolidation of the European education system, it will be one round-table on education…Due to the economic dependence on common factors, we, surely, want to know the tendencies,' – said a head of the Ministry of economy of RT Artem Zdunov to journalists. According to his words, he is not a member of the delegation. Later, Zdunov explained to Realnoe Vremya that in 2016 Russian representatives will be few and even from Federal center 'a few goes'.
Many experts claim that in terms of sanctions and due to the actual closing of financial markets for borrowings, the Russian businesspersons will not be interested in WEF.How Rustam Minnikhanov will be able to attract investors in Tatarstan, we can only guess. It is known that the General Director of Tatneft Nail Maganov is a member of the delegation. The agenda of his stay in Davos is still unknown. However, a head of Rosnano Anatoliy Chubais is going to Switzerland, as well as the president of fund Skolkovo Viktor Vekselberg, the president of group of companies IBS Anatoliy Karachinskiy. Perhaps, RT President will bring up a topic of Innopolis again.
Reference
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva. The Forum is best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland. The meeting brings together some 2,500 top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals, and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world. WEF members are about 1,000 big companies and organizations from around the world, including Russia. Permanent Executive body — the Board of Directors. Headquartered in Cologny, a municipality in the Canton of Geneva. The foundation is funded by its 1,000 member companies. The membership is reviewed annually. The founder and the permanent head of the WEF and an economist Klaus Schwab (from 1971 to 2002 — professor at the University of Geneva). The forum was founded in 1971. That year it gathered 450 executives of the leading European companies to discuss the perspectives of world economy and to work out the general strategy. First forum was named the 'European Management Forum'. At the first meetings they discussed the issues of developing of West Europe positions in competitive struggle. In the middle 1970s, the invitation was extended to include influential people all over the world, and then it got the status of a major event of a year. In 1987 it got its current name — the World Economic Forum. Russia started to cooperate with WEF in 1986. Since 1987, Russian delegation participates at annual meetings.