"Kazan at the crossroads of two great cultures: results of the second forum "ROSTKI" in Kazan!"
The second largest international forum ROSTKI - "Russia-China: Mutually Beneficial Cooperation" was held on November 14-15, 2024 in the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan.
The ROSTKI forum is a new annual platform for developing economic cooperation between Russian regions and Chinese provinces. This year, the event brought together a record number of participants - more than 10 thousand representatives from 36 countries, including delegations from 71 regions of Russia and 27 administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China. The participants included delegations from such administrative divisions as Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hong Kong, Beijing, Anhui, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Liaoning, Sichuan, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Hebei, Henan, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Jilin, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Fujian, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chongqing, Tianjin and Shanghai.
The II International Forum "ROSTKI" included 77 business sessions, as well as B2B meetings between Chinese and Russian organizations. The forum participants were able to get acquainted with a rich excursion program, during which they visited key sites in the fields of education, IT innovation and industry in Tatarstan. In addition, the forum offered participants a variety of cultural events, including master classes, concerts and theatrical performances. An important part of the program were sports events, such as a hockey match and a tennis tournament, which contributed to strengthening friendly ties and exchanging experiences between the participants.
A special event of the business program was the plenary session "Russia and China in the Global Economic Game", which was attended by representatives of federal ministries, heads of governments of the PRC provinces, chairmen of Chinese companies, as well as heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Three exhibitions with a total area of 15,000 sq. m. were organized in the Kazan Expo IEC. In parallel with the forum, the Coffee Tea Cacao Kazan Expo exhibition was held in pavilion A1, and Russia China Expo and the specialized exhibition REBUS were held in pavilion A2, where 49 exhibitors and 98 co-exhibitors from 8 regions of Russia and 9 provinces of China were presented. The central cross-cultural zone in the pavilion became an important platform for the exchange of cultures and mentalities of the two countries.
More than 30 agreements were also signed at the forum, some of them:
- Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Public Joint-Stock Company "BANK URALSIB";
- Agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture
between the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan;
- Agreements of intent to develop and establish sister city relations between the city of Dazhou, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China and the city of Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation;
- Memorandum of strategic cooperation between TATLIFT LLC together with Shanghai HaXell Elevator Co., Ltd.
Thus, the second international forum "Russia-China" became an important step towards strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and China, demonstrating the importance of cultural and economic exchange between the two countries. The participation of more than 10 thousand representatives from Russia and China indicates a growing interest in partnership and joint projects. The forum "ROSTKI" not only confirmed its role as an important platform for dialogue, but also became a symbol of the desire for joint progress and sustainable development in modern realities.