09:30 – 10:00. Registration of participants.
10:00 – 12:00
Business breakfast. Foreign investments in Russian business 2020: risks vs. opportunities Foreign direct investment in Russia continues to decline: at the end of last year it fell threefold to the lowest level in the last 10 years, and the net outflow of foreign investment was the highest since 2014 and amounted to $23.1 billion, according to Central Bank analysts. Foreign investments are a powerful driver of economic growth, especially since Russia has ambitious plans in this area. By 2024, Russia should be among the top five economies with GDP growth rates above the global average, while maintaining low inflation. Is it possible to achieve this goal without attracting foreign capital? So far, the Russian government is counting on its own strength. National projects should ensure the breakthrough of the Russian economy and 25.7 trillion rubles will be allocated for their implementation, mainly from federal and regional budgets. Despite the decreased interest, there are still investors who believe in the profitability and prospects of the Russian market. One of them is legendary investor Jim Rogers. «I first came there [to Russia] in 1966. Believe it or not, I left as a pessimist about the future of Russia. And I was a pessimist for 46 years. Now I'm an optimist,» Rogers said in 2014. He has maintained his optimism and he is still investing in the Russian market. Together with Rogers and other investors at Vedomosti business breakfast we will talk about the potential and prospects of the Russian market, its risks and opportunities.
Topics for discussion
- Sanctions or domestic risks: What determines the image of Russia in the eyes of foreign investors?
- State policy in the field of attracting foreign investments – real and declared.
- State and prospects of the M&A market with the participation of foreign investors.
- Increased risks of direct investments and their impact on the investment climate as a whole.
- Why are global capital markets still closed to Russian issuers and are there alternatives?
- The role of foreign investments in the development of private entrepreneurship and the value of assets in Russia.
- Forecast for 2020: will we see a change for the better and what needs to be done?
Moderators
Henry Foy, Moscow Bureau Chief, Financial Times
Marianne Minsker, presenter, international TV channel RTVI
Discussion participants
Jim Rogers, investor
Gregory Abovsky, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Yandex
Tom Blackwell, CEO, EM
Artyom Zasursky, Vice President for Strategy, JSFC Sistema
Elena Ivashentseva, Senior Partner, Baring Vostok Capital Partners
Dmitri Krukov, Founder, Managing Partner, Elbrus Capital Funds
Stuart Lawson, Board Member, European Business Association; Senior Advisor, EY
Tanaka Masafuyu, Representative in Russia SBI Holdngs JAPAN
Alexis Rodzianko, President and CEO, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia
Dmitri Sedov, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Goldman Sachs (Russia)
David Stewart, Partner, Latham & Watkins law firm (Moscow, London)
Boris Titov, Presidential Envoy for the Protection of Entrepreneurs' Rights (Business Ombudsman)
Regina von Flemming, Independent Director, MTS; Advisor to CEO, Accenture
Ivan Tchakarov, chief economist Russia and CIS, Citibank
