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The 2^nd Russian Family Business Forum on Successful Family – Successful Russia, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia and Expocentre AO, opened at Expocentre Fairgrounds.

Some 1,500 families from 85 regions of Russia gathered together in Expocentre’s Pavilion No. 3 to find answers to the most pressing questions of family business.

“This forum is the only place in Russia that brings together family businesses from all over the country. It draws attention of both businessmen and the national administration,” President of CCI of Russia Sergey Katyrin said at the forum’s opening ceremony. He read out greetings from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who described family business as a source of national economic growth.  The head of the government expressed confidence that the forum will help find ways to create favorable conditions for family business and will give a fresh impetus to its development. “I hope you will have a constructive discussion and will put your heads together to ponder the most pressing problems, find answers to your questions, and exchange practices, interesting ideas, and initiatives,” the greetings said.

For his part, the CCI of Russia president thanked businessmen, and representatives of the State Duma, the Federation Council, and federal and regional ministries, departments and agencies who accepted the invitation to the Forum. “Apart from discussing problems and solutions, the Forum gives a chance to see products of family enterprises,” Sergey Katyrin said. “I wish you not just to have two days of intensive work but also to find new friends and new contacts, and to enjoy the family business festival,” he said.

Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin also greeted the audience and expressed satisfaction with the presence of numerous family businesses from all over Russia at the Forum and with the fact that big companies named after their founders had been emerging in Russia, just like in the rest of the world. Family business is the most stable and continuously developing enterprise, which contributes to the economy, he said. In the minister’s opinion, it is a task of the government to provide additional support to such businesses with relevant legislative conditions.

On the orders from Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, the Forum organisers and participants were greeted by Galina Karelova, Vice Speaker of the upper house, who said that family business was a global trend backed up by the government, civil society, and the entire population. “Such forums give an opportunity to exchange practices, present technologies, and motivate business novices,” she said.

State Duma Vice Speaker Olga Timofeyeva thanked representatives of the best family enterprises for participating in the Forum. “You are working, creating jobs, and paying taxes. The task of this Forum is to accumulate legislative initiatives needed by family businesses,” she said.

The Forum’s supporting program opened with the round table on Family – Business – State: Successful Partnership Components moderated by CCI of Russia President Sergey Katyrin. In his opening remarks, he indicated main administrative, financial, and other problems hindering the development of family businesses.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Federal Tax Service, the Russian Pension Fund, and the CCI of Russia, heads of Russian constituent territories, and family businessmen discussed what the government and business can and should do to change the situation, foster development of family businesses, and help them unlock their potential.

Press Service, Expocentre AO