XIII Meeting of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries Started in Kazan

The XIII Meeting of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries started in Kazan. The meeting is organized by Tatarstan Investment Development Agency (TIDA).

Today, Director of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Natalia Larionova arrived in Kazan for a two-day official visit. At Kazan airport high-ranking guest was welcomed by Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov.

Welcoming the participants of the XIII Meeting of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries Director of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Natalia Larionova said that it is 20th anniversary year of Commonwealth of Independent States.  Our meeting is being held in the framework of this event.

Also, Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov greeted the members of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries.
"Let me welcome you in the hospitable land of Tatarstan," - began his speech Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov.

 "Development of small and medium-size entrepreneurship is one of the main things for dynamic and progressive development of Russia's economy and improvement of its citizens’ welfare. The Government's policy devoted to the support of Russian businesses primarily aimed at forming comfortable and equal conditions for business in all sectors of economy. Thus, entrepreneurs can work on modernizing production. Moreover, there is demand for innovative ideas and products, "- summed up Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov.

Board Member – Vice-Chairman of GC Vnesheconombank Michael Kopeykin focused on the issues of small business financing in the Russian Federation. He told the members about the possibilities of Vnesheconombank Corporation, and state funding allocation to support small and medium-size businesses in Russia.

Executive Director of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Centre of Armenia Tigran Harutyunyan presented the trends of small and medium business development in Armenia.

Today there are more than 80 thousand individual entrepreneurs and more than 60 thousand businesses in Armenia.  Particularly, participants of the XIII meeting of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries were interested in the work of Armenian colleagues in the field of electronic queue for the registration of new entities, which takes 3 days only.

"The average size of loans to small and medium business and start-ups in Armenia is 10 thousand U.S. dollars. It is a great opportunity to start a new business in our country," - said Executive Director of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Centre of Armenia Tigran Harutyunyan.

Representative of Development Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan Baurzhan Bekeshev began his speech with issues referring financing of small and medium-size businesses.
"In our country there is a basic operator of financing of small and medium-size entrepreneurship", - said Baurzhan Bekeshev. "It is the Business Development Fund, which annually allocates 50 billion KZT within the framework of government SME support programs of small and medium businesses development in Kazakhstan," - said the representative of Development Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan Baurzhan Bekeshev.

Moreover, Director of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vyshegorodtsev Michael made a special report on institutions devoted to support small business in the CIS member states.

Members of the XIII meeting of the Advisory Council for Small Business Support and Development in the CIS Countries will sign a final protocol on 7 October, 2011.

Press-Service of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency