At the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry on July 2, 2024. a round table was held on the topic “The future of the world economy in the light of modern geopolitical upheavals”, organized jointly with the Association of Italian entrepreneurs in Russia GIM-Unimpresa. More than 100 representatives of Italian and Russian business took part in this event.

GIM-Unimpresa is the Association of Italian entrepreneurs in Russia, created in 1994, which has been supporting and protecting the interests of Italian companies operating in the Russian Federation for more than 30 years. The association unites organizations from all major economic sectors, including small, medium and large enterprises, as well as banks, companies providing various services and production sites.

In his welcoming speech addressed to the participants of the event, the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Platonov noted: “Business and entrepreneurs set an example of how to act during political upheavals - we must continue to work. Today we will be happy to discuss this and find new interesting ways of cooperation.”

Chargé d'Affaires of Italy in the Russian Federation, Minister-Counselor of the Italian Embassy Pietro Sferra Carini welcomed the dialogue between entrepreneurs of the two countries and especially emphasized the attention of the diplomatic mission to the situation of Italian business in the Russian Federation in the current conditions and ongoing interaction with national business associations.

The President of the Association of Italian Entrepreneurs in Russia (GIM Unimpresa), Vittorio Torrembini, emphasized in his speech that “one element that characterizes the activities of the Italian business community in recent years is its unity.” “Thanks to our channels, knowledge and contacts that we used, we provided support to everyone,” he emphasized and called on us to think about how to restore the broken ties between our peoples and states: “they are so deep that it is very difficult to interrupt them.” Vittorio Torrembini emphasized that Italian companies still assess the Russian market as attractive. Not only large companies, but also medium and small enterprises in various industries want to return. Then presentations of new member companies of the Association took place.

The round table on the topic “The future of the world economy in the light of modern geopolitical upheavals” was moderated by the Chairman of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Commission on Foreign Economic Cooperation with Partners in the Italian Republic Konstantin Krokhin, who noted that “seeing the future is not so easy.” He called the changes taking place in the global economy fundamental. “For me, these changes are comparable to those that happened in the 90s. It's been 30 years of building a global economy and suddenly, at the finish line, it turned out that it wasn't working; those institutions and principles that were built have changed, do not work at all or do not work as expected.”

A brief report was made by the program director of the Valdai International Club, scientific director of the European Institute of MGIMO Oleg Barabanov, who expressed confidence that a serious and open dialogue is needed today much more than before. “Sooner or later the situation will change for the better in interstate relations, or at least from a business point of view. And we need to think about this today,” emphasized Oleg Barabanov.

Fabrizio Maronta, an analyst, scientific advisor and head of the international affairs department at LIMES, joined the discussion on videoconferencing, and he outlined a view from Europe on the existing problems in relations between the West and Russia, as well as the prospects for the development of the world economy, taking into account the growing influence of the countries of the global South in world affairs. The meeting participants agreed with the thesis that “we all need to think about the future, make the future.”Noting the special role of cultural ties in preserving relations between the peoples of the two countries, Konstantin Krokhin presented the meeting participants with the Guitar Time Competition-Festival of Guitar Art, which was successfully held last year with the participation of the famous Italian guitarist, maestro Marco Del Greco, who headed the jury of the competition. In order to popularize the performance of classical and modern musical works for guitar, to introduce the younger generation to the world treasury of musical art and cultural heritage of Eurasia, for the first time in the history of the competition, the Presidential Foundation was among the main organizers of the V competition-festival, which is scheduled for November-December 2024 cultural initiatives.

As a member of the organizing committee of the international competition-festival “Guitar Time,” Konstantin Krokhin invited the participants of the meeting and their family members to attend the concert events of the competition-festival, which will begin with a concert at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street in Moscow on November 27. 24

The discussion and interesting exchange of views were highly appreciated by the participants - representatives of Italian and Russian business circles.

COMPETITION-FESTIVAL “TIME OF GUITAR”

Video - "Guitar Time"