63
Russia - France
International organized the Business
Dialogue France – Russia, in which the
two Heads of State took part, as well
as a round table about the Industry of
the future with the Russian Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and the
CCIFR; we also contributed to the
round table about the Sustainable
City, with the Trianon Dialogue.
Innovation was the watchword of the
entire day. Technological innovation
and the digital revolution of the
21
st
century are major challenges
today in Russia, like elsewhere, and we
have a real card to play with our
Russian partners in this field. In this
perspective, we have signed a memo-
randum of understanding about the
industry of the future, to foster and
facilitate Franco-Russian projects in
this field.
France is still the number one foreign
investor in Russia. How do French
companies view the business climate
in Russia?
France is not only the number one
investor in flows and in stock - more
than twenty billion euros - but also the
number one foreign employer in the
country.
We can see that companies have conti-
nued their investments in Russia despi-
te the economic and diplomatic crisis,
to be able to localize their production
and respond to the requirements of
their clients and local consumers.
Localization is a requirement which is
more and more common worldwide. It
enables the upgrading of the produc-
tion chain thanks to the transfer of
certain technologies and the training
of employees.
Like everywhere, the business climate
could be improved and Medef
International is striving to contribute to
the development of governance, by
formulating proposals, especially
during Cefic meetings.
We are appreciative of the way that
our Russian partners and discussion
partners listen to us and to their
willingness to find solutions when
problems arise.
It can be at the federal level or the local
level, but also at the supranational
level, as the Eurasian Economic Union
(Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia
and Kyrgyzstan, which was launched
on 1
st
January 2015) has the role of
regulator, especially about standards.
Russia wants to continue to attract
European investors, and especially
French ones, faced with Asian coun-
tries that are more and more active
and despite the American foreign poli-
cy that is sometimes disconcerting.
How do you see the future of Franco-
Russian trading relations? What will
you focus on in the comingmonths?
We are optimistic by nature, otherwi-
se we would not be entrepreneurs
and enterprising! We are looking, 20,
30, 40 or 50 years into the future! A
business plan for an investor is built
up over at least a decade! We know
that the trade crisis that we are going
through today will come to an end in
the more or less distant future, but we
know above all that Russia will be
always present.
We trust its people, many of whom we
employ, in its ability to fully enter the
21
st
century and in its willingness to
modernize its industry and its econo-
my and to innovate. More than any-
thing, we trust our partners, with
whom we share a common foundation
of values, history and culture.
The agenda of the France-Russia busi-
ness council is quite busy until the end
of the year: we plan to go to the
Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona
(25-26 October); we will continue our
action in favour of cooperation in the
field of railways with RZD (Russian
railways), and we are planning a
mission in Moscow about the industry
of the future in December.
There are many projects.
©DR
