Chairman of the RF State Duma Healthcare Committee Briefs Members

Sergey Kalashnikov, Chairman of the RF State Duma Healthcare Committee, briefed over 70 AmCham executives yesterday on issues related to the development of healthcare legislation in Russia.

Following his address, Mr. Kalashnikov answered numerous questions from guests and made proposals for ongoing cooperation and discussion with the private sector.

AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers moderated the event at the Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel in Moscow.

Upcoming Major Events

Andrew Somers Briefs University Of Pittsburg Graduate Students

Visiting MBA and other graduate students from the University of Pittsburg met yesterday with AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers at the AmCham headquarters in Moscow.

Mr. Somers briefed the group on the Chamber's vital policy work to improve the business climate in Russia, and AmCham's ongoing advocacy of repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to allow U.S. companies to take full advantage of Russia's impending accession to the World Trade Organization.

Vadim Fomichev, Managing Director of Heinz Russia, also briefed the group on Heinz's success in Russia.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin Addresses AmCham Members

During a special AmCham membership meeting held on April 17 at Petrovsky Palace in Moscow, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin addressed AmCham members on his vision for Moscow’s development. Following the Mayor's address, there were several brief presentations by AmCham member companies representing sectors of special interest to the city.

[photograph from left: Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow; Andrew Somers, AmCham President & CEO - click here for more photographs]

The event concluded with a two-hour reception, during which members had a unique opportunity to speak with both Mayor Sobyanin and key staff from the Moscow City Administration, including Deputy Mayor of Moscow Andrey Sharonov.

Media coverage of the event: The Moscow Times | The Moscow Post | TV Center | VM Daily | Lenta.ru | Realty | Capital of the Country | Echo Moscow

Moscow City Government coverage: transcript of Mayor Sobyanin's speech | photographs

AmCham Announces This Year's Gala Award Winners

AmCham held its 18th Annual Gala Awards Dinner on April 21, 2012 at the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy Moscow Conference Center.

We congratulate the award winners: ● Company of the Year - ExxonMobil ● Businessperson of the Year - Jean-Luc Duramy, DuPont ● SME of the Year - Intermark Auto Leasing Group ● Committee Co-Chairs of the Year - NGO-Corporate Partnership Committee Co-Chairs: Tatiana Avramenko, Citi Russia, Tatiana Zadirako, United Way.

Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Alexander Misharin Briefs AmCham Members

The American Chamber of Commerce held a regional briefing on April 18 with a high-level delegation from Sverdlovsk Oblast led by Governor Alexander Misharin. Governor Misharin briefed over 60 AmCham member company executives on the investment potential of his region, after which presentations were made by Artemiy Kyzlasov, General Director of the Titanium Valley Management Company; Sergey Lednov, Business Development Director for VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation; Igor Gerdt, Deputy General Director and Project Head for the Tagil Chemical Park; and Andrey Besedin, President of the Urals Chamber of Trade and Industry. The event was moderated by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers and hosted by the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy. Photographs from the event are available here.

[photograph from left: Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Alexander Misharin; AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers]

Tula Oblast Governor Vladimir Gruzdev Briefs AmCham Members

During an AmCham Regional Briefing on April 9, Tula Oblast Governor Vladimir Gruzdev briefed over 50 AmCham executives on investment opportunities in Tula Oblast. Governor Gruzdev was accompanied by senior regional officials, including First Deputy Governor Yuri Andrianov; Minister of Economic Development and Industry Denis Tihonov, and Minister of Investment Policy, State-Private Partnerships and External Economic Relations Andrey Spiridonov. Presentations on the business climate in Tula Oblast were made by Olga Arkhangelskaya, Partner with Ernst & Young; Natalia Orlova, Russia Country Manager of Cargill; and Evgeny Marakhovsky, Eastern Europe Product Supply Leader with Procter & Gamble.

The event was chaired by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers and held at the Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel in Moscow. [photograph: AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers (right) greets Tula Oblast Governor Vladimir Gruzdev (left) on his arrival to the event] 

U.S. Consul General Briefs AmCham On U.S. Visa Policy

Over 50 AmCham member company executives attended a high-level speaker briefing on April 16 with Doron Bard, Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Mr. Bard spoke on current U.S. visa policy and application procedures and answered questions on visa-related issues. The event was moderated by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers and held at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow.

Photographs from the event are available here.

AmCham High-Level Follow-Up Discussion with RF Federal Antimonopoly Service Head Igor Artemiev

As an important follow-up to the September 2011 AmCham policy event on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Russian Competition Law, the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a second high-level discussion on April 12 with Igor Artemiev, Head of the RF Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). Mr. Artemiev briefed over 250 AmCham member company executives on recent developments in Russian Antitrust Law, touching on the “Third Anti-Monopoly Package” of legislative amendments, amendments to the law on foreign investment in strategic sectors, FCPA issues in Russia and FAS policies on termination of local distributors on grounds of suspected corruption.

The half-day round table was held at the the InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya in conjunction with the RF Federal Antimonopoly Service and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Photographs and presentations made during the event are available here.

AmCham Business Delegation Meets U.S. Policymakers In Washington

During the week of March 26, AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers led a business delegation, which comprised the Russian heads of Amway, Citi, and Standard & Poor’s, for meetings in Washington, D.C. The group met with leading U.S. policymakers to discuss business success in Russia, including with Congresswoman Ilena Ros-Lehninen (R-FL, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee), Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI, Chairman, Ways and Means Committee), Alice Wells (Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Russia at the National Security Council), and Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats (State Department). The delegation stressed the importance of abolishing the Jackson-Vanik amendment and granting Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations in order to ensure that American companies can enjoy the full benefits of Russia’s recent accession to the World Trade Organization without penalty.

[Seated, left to right: Richard Stevens (Amway), Alexey Novikov (Standard & Poor’s), and Zdenek Turek (Citi Russia). Standing: Former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, Congresswoman Ilena Ros-Lehninen, and Andrew Somers] 

Andrew Somers Interview On National Public Radio

On Friday, March 16, President & CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia Andrew Somers spoke on National Public Radio about Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, the Jackson-Vanik amendment and Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR). To listen to the full broadcast or to read the transcript, please click here.

AmCham IPR Working Group Holds Inaugural Meeting

The AmCham IPR Working Group met for the first time on March 14 at the AmCham office. The group's inaugural meeting was opened by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers and co-moderated by AmCham Senior GR Director Igor Pozhitkov. A capacity turnout of AmCham member company executives heard overview presentations on IPR-related topics by Chris Marcich, President and Managing Director, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for Europe, the Middle East and Africa [below left], and Oleg Rumyantsev, Managing Partner, Rumyantsev & Partners [below right]. The IPR Working Group is now in the process of defining goals and priority topics for discussion.

EBRD Managing Director For Russia Briefs AmCham Members

During an AmCham briefing on March 6, Natasha Khanjenkova, Managing Director, Russia, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), made a presentation to around 50 AmCham executives on EBRD support For small- & medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Ms. Khanjenkova was accompanied by a delegation of senior EBRD executives: Bruno Balvanera, Director, Regional Development, Russia; Serdar Annamuhamedov, Senior Banker; Oxana Selska, Head, Central Federal District, Senior Banker; Anna Solovei, Principal Banker; and Ksenia Kostomarova, Associate Banker.

The event, which was held at the Holiday Inn Lesnaya, was moderated by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers and held in conjunction with the AmCham Enterprise Development Committee. Photographs are available here.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce PNTR Primer

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses, has released a PNTR Primer explaining why approval of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia is in the U.S. national interest.

On December 16, 2011, trade ministers at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) invited Russia to become the organization’s 154th member. Russia's accession to the WTO is no longer in doubt; however, Congress must act to ensure that the U.S. benefits from the reforms Russia is undertaking as it joins the WTO.

Specifically, Congress must pass a short and simple bill that grants Russia PNTR status and repeals the Jackson-Vanik amendment with respect to Russia.

Please click here to download the PNTR Primer.

AmCham Roundtable Briefing With Senator Max Baucus

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia hosted a roundtable briefing on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, with U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) in order to make its case that Congress should grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) and abrogate the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. Senator Baucus is in Russia this week to meet with the Russian President and other government officials to discuss economic, trade, and foreign-affairs issues. He will also visit the John Deere plant near Domodedovo.

One of the key aims of Senator Baucus’s visit to Russia is to open doors for American businesses in Russia. “Opening doors overseas in countries like Russia will propel our economic recovery forward and create jobs across the United States,” Senator Baucus said in a statement last week. “Holding Russia to its promises as it enters the WTO and seeking a greater share of the Russian market is a one-way economic benefit for the United States and an absolute no-brainer.”

AmCham Releases Special AmCham News Report: Russia & WTO

AmCham releases its latest edition of AmCham News, featuring a special report on Russia & WTO. The edition is available for download here.

Maxim Medvedkov Addresses AmCham Members On WTO

Andrew Somers, President & CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, presented an AmCham award on January 24, 2012 to Maxim Medvedkov, Russia's Chief WTO Negotiator and Head of the Department for Trade Negotiations at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

The "Friend of Business and Champion of Free Trade" award acknowledges Maxim Medvedkov's significant contribution to Russia's recent invitation to acceed to the World Trade Organization.

AmCham Congratulates Michael McFaul on Being Approved as New Ambassador to Russia

On Saturday, December 17, the U.S. Senate approved President Barack Obama’s top advisor on Russia policy, Michael McFaul, as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia.

“I would like to warmly congratulate Michael McFaul on being approved as Ambassador,” said Andrew Somers, President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. “We have worked closely with Mr. McFaul in the past, and I know that we will continue our strong cooperation when he is the Ambassador.”

Mr. Somers has met regularly with Mr. McFaul during his monthly business delegations to Washington D.C. During these visits, Mr. Somers has led delegations of heads of American companies in Russia to meet with Congressmen and leading policymakers to discuss the importance of the Russian market for American businesses. The delegations’ aim is to provide policymakers with information necessary in order to make informed decisions regarding abolishing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and establishing Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia.

AmCham in Geneva at WTO Signing

AmCham’s President and CEO, Andrew Somers, was in Geneva on December 16 at the invitation of Elvira Nabiullina, the Russian Economic Development Minister, for the signing of the protocol for Russia’s accession into the WTO. While there, he had the opportunity to speak with and congratulate RF First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Severstal Chairman Alexey Mordashov. Mr. Somers, who had just flown in from Washington, informed the Deputy Prime Minister of his meetings with members of Congress days earlier in which he advocated Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia and the abolition of Jackson-Vanik, as well as informing them of the importance of U.S. investments in Russia for U.S. jobs and U.S. exports. Mr. Somers also asked Mr. Mordashov to urge Russia’s business leaders to support, and be active in, AmCham’s efforts in Washington to have the U.S. Congress grant Russia PNTR.
click here

Senior RF Government Official Briefs AmCham Members on SME Support & Development

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a briefing on November 29 with Natalia Larionova, Head of the Department for Small and Medium Business, RF Ministry of Economic Development. The event was moderated by AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers.

Ms. Larionova made a presentation on SME support and development, touching on Russian Government policy and instruments to support SMEs, short- to medium-term measures to boost SME development, the U.S.- Russia Presidential Bilateral Commission’s SME agenda, and cooperation between the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and the RF Ministry of Economic Development to create a more favorable environment for entrepreneurship.

Over 40 AmCham executives attended the event at the Lotte Hotel Moscow.

Sergey Shatalov Delivers Keynote Address at Annual Tax Conference

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held its annual tax conference on October 19 at the Baltschug Kempinski hotel in Moscow. Following opening remarks by AmCham President and CEO Andrew Somers, RF Deputy Minister of Finance Sergey Shatalov briefed AmCham members on the most recent and planned changes to Russian tax policy designed to promote business development in the short- and medium-term.

Following Mr. Shatalov's keynote speech, AmCham Taxation Committee co-chairs Vladimir Abramov of Ernst & Young and Maxim Chaplygin of Deloitte chaired two sessions of presentations on tax-related issues key to companies operating in the Russian Federation. Corporate tax experts spoke on the first part of the RF Tax Code to be re-read by the Supreme Arbitration Court, the exchange of information between fiscal authorities, recent trends and developments in the taxation of high-tech and innovative industries, discriminative application of thin capitalization rules, VAT developments, tax reform in the U.S., and the draft laws on consolidated group of taxpayers and social insurance contributions.

Over 130 AmCham member tax professionals attended the event. AmCham thanks major sponsor Ernst & Young, general sponsor Goltsblat BLP, and information sponsor The Moscow Times.

Russia Business Consulting Interviews Andrew Somers

On Friday, October 21, Russia Business Consulting broadcast its television interview with AmCham President and CEO, Andrew Somers, during which he discussed the positive changes in the business climate following the U.S.-Russia ‘reset,’ as well as the tremendous success of American businesses operating in Russia.  To view the interview, please click here.

AmCham Holds Regional Briefing with Samara Oblast Governor

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a regional briefing on October 10 with a delegation of senior officials from the Administration of Samara Oblast led by Samara Oblast Governor Vladimir Artyakov. Amcham President & CEO Andrew Somers chaired the briefing.

Governor Artyakov spoke on investment opportunities in his region and answered questions from AmCham members on issues related to business operations and economic development.

The Samara Oblast Administration delegation included Oleg Mayorov, Deputy Minister for Economic Development, who made a presentation on the economic and investment potential of the region.

Governor Artyakov was also accompanied by Maxim Smirnov, President of Alcoa Russia, and Simon Kukes, General Director of ZAO Samara-Nafta, Hess Corporation, who each gave personal insight into the business environment in Samara Oblast.

Over 60 representatives of AmCham member companies attended the event at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow.

[photograph from left: Andrew Somers, AmCham President & CEO; Vladimir Artyakov, Governor of Samara Oblast]

RF President Medvedev Awards Order of Friendship to Andrew Somers

On Monday, June 20, 2011, at his Gorki residence, Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev presented Andrew B. Somers, President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, with the Order of Friendship, the highest Russian state order that can be bestowed on a foreign citizen.
 
 Upon receiving the Order, Mr. Somers said to President Medvedev: “It is with the utmost respect and appreciation that I accept this great honor of the Russian Federation. This generous acknowledgement of my efforts with the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia in supporting you, President Medvedev, and President Obama, in your historic mission to create a lasting stable political relationship, founded in large part on a much deeper trade and investment engagement, is most warmly received. Your forceful determination, President Medvedev, to innovate and modernize the economy, to minimize corruption, and to maximize rule of law is fundamental to a thriving investment climate.”
 
 The Order of Friendship is awarded to individuals for their significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations and nationalities, for notable achievements in developing the economic and scientific potential of Russia, for exceptional work in bringing together and mutually enriching national cultures, and for strengthening peace and friendship between countries. The Order of Friendship was instituted by the RF President on March 2, 1994.

U.S. Vice President Addresses AmCham

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held its 11th Annual Investment Conference on March 10, 2011 at Lomonosov Moscow State University. During the opening session, AmCham President & CEO Andrew Somers discussed the successes and challenges of the Russian market; Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy Andrey Sharonov outlined strategies for Moscow development in 2011 and beyond; and President of the Russian-American Business Council David Iakobachvili spoke on Russian-American Strategic Economic Partnerships.

Over a dozen corporate leaders then participated in two panel sessions focusing on Russia as an international financial center and strategies to raise Russia’s competitive capacity. The conference concluded with a keynote address by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden entitled Building On The Reset. Click here for more information, including media coverage of the event and the presentations made during the panel discussions.

To read media coverage of the Vice President’s speech to AmCham, please click on one of the following: The New York Times; The Moscow Times; The Wall Street Journal; The Washington Post; Voice of America; and RIA Novosti.

Andrew Somers on BBC Promoting Regional Investment

Please click to view a BBC Russia Business Profile featuring Andrew Somers, President & CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

Moscow Business Summit

Click here to download AmCham's publication on the Moscow Business Summit.

U.S. President Barack Obama and RF President Dmitri Medvedev addressed the Moscow Business Summit at the historic Manezh exhibition hall on July 7, 2009. The Business Summit featured an unprecedented number of US and Russian global CEO participants in 3 panels aimed at making recommendations for governmental action to spur trade and investment.

One-Window for Russian visas & work permits | Premium Processing for U.S. visas

An improved one-window service for work permits & related documents is in place for AmCham member companies. This AmCham service is free of charge. Representatives of AmCham member companies should bring their documents to the AmCham office at Dolgorukovskaya 7, 14th floor (Ул. Долгоруковская 7, 14ый этаж). An authorized, dedicated AmCham member of staff collects submitted documents, transfers them to the Federal Migration Service offices, and transfers processed applications back to the AmCham office for collection by members.

In cooperation with the U.S. Embassy Consular Section AmCham has implemented a system to expedite the U.S. visa application process for AmCham members. Premium Processing allows AmCham member company employees to obtain a visa within five business days or less.

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