Press conference: "About the results of the II International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China - mutually beneficial cooperation"
On November 13-15, 2024, the II International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation" was held at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. Participants discussed current issues, exchanged experiences and established new business contacts.
This year, the number of forum participants has reached a record. Head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina emphasized that the number of entities and countries represented at the event has reached heights.
“This year, we are seeing a significant increase in participation: 31 countries and more than 10 thousand participants. The first time, 57 entities took part in the forum, this time 71. It is especially gratifying that the number of administrative divisions of China has increased from 14 to 27. Such data indicate a significant increase,” said the head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.
Taliya Minullina also noted: “This platform is useful not only for us, but also for other entities of Russia. Many agreements have been signed in the fields of agriculture, economics, trade, mineral resources, engineering and technical cooperation, and in many other areas. Each participant also tried to organize additional events outside the main forum program. Thus, this forum has become a successful platform that opens up new horizons for further cooperation.”
A total of 31 agreements were signed at the forum, including a cooperation agreement: between the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Public Joint Stock Company "BANK URALSIB", 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, between the city of Dazhou, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China and the city of Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, as well as a memorandum on strategic cooperation between TATLIFT LLC and Shanghai HaXell Elevator Co., Ltd. In light of active cooperation with Chinese partners, the organizers of the forum decided to postpone it to new dates. This is due to intense business activity in the autumn months and the desire to take into account the cultural preferences of the Chinese side.
"Many people ask why we have moved the forum to new dates. This is due to our Chinese partners. At meetings with the Rais of the Republic, our guests asked him several times to move the forum to August, since the autumn months are too busy in terms of business activity. We also take into account other events that take place in China, including major exhibitions. That is why they asked to hold the forum in August. The dates of August 18 and 19 were not chosen by chance, since the Chinese are very fond of the number 8, and August is the eighth month. Thus, we decided to focus on these dates in 2025," said the head of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Xiang Bo, Consul General of China in Kazan, noted the importance of interaction between Tatarstan and China.
"I managed to talk with representatives of the delegations of the People's Republic of China, and they are very hopeful for further cooperation in Tatarstan. I believe that the Republic of Tatarstan is one of the most active regions of Russia in developing cooperation with China and contributes to the strategic growth of cooperation between Russia and China, helping it reach a new qualitative level,” said Xiang Bo.
Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Damir Natfullin, presented an overview of the cultural component of the forum, highlighting four key sections, each of which contributed to the discussion of topical issues.
“First of all, I would like to note that 4 interesting sections were held on the “Culture” track. One of them was devoted to UNESCO sites and the impact of UNESCO status on tourist flows in commercial spheres. The second session was devoted to archeology, where approaches and experience that have already been accumulated in Tatarstan on UNESCO sites and work in the field of archeology were discussed. The third section was devoted to creative industries, where joint projects and features of the creative industry in both Russia and China were considered, as well as cultural and economic factors influencing the formation of the ecosystem of both countries. The fourth section was devoted to decorative and applied arts and examples of preserving and developing local crafts. I would like to note that this section was attended by specially invited guests from China, who, in addition to participating in the session itself, visited our cultural sites" - Damir Natfullin.
In addition, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan shared information about the forum's cultural projects and prospects for further development. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of new initiatives and outlined key areas that will contribute to strengthening cooperation and cultural exchange:
"From November 13 to 15, the MIR cinema hosted Chinese cinema days, where all interested guests of the republic and residents of Kazan could see wonderful films in the original language with dubbed translation. In addition, on October 21, the National Museum opened an exhibition "Chinese Collections from Museums of the Russian Federation". This is also a fairly serious project implemented within the framework of BRICS, which is currently ongoing and there is an opportunity to visit it. We actively discussed with Chinese colleagues and artists the possibilities of a joint project on the "Great Tea Road", which reminds us that Kazan and Tatarstan were an integral part of this historical path. We all know that Kazan and Tatarstan were part of the Great Tea Road, and currently there are serious intentions from both our side and the Republic of China that cooperation in this area can be strengthened and further developed."
As part of the Russia-China forum, dedicated to strengthening economic ties between Russia and China, attention was also paid to sports cooperation. Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ildar Sadriev, emphasized the importance of sports as a universal language of communication and a tool for intercultural dialogue.
"The forum included various sports events, including table tennis and chess tournaments, as well as a hockey match between the Ak Bars club and the Chinese team Kunlun Red Star. Sports unite, and the introduction of such sports activities into economic forums is a form of networking, exchange of experience, and establishment of connections," he added.
One of the key events was the friendly chess tournament held on November 14 at EXPO. It was attended by 26 teams, 18 of which represented Russia and 8 – China.
“I congratulate my colleagues from the People’s Republic of China on the fact that they showed a game at a very decent level and took first place in the overall team standings,” Sadriev noted.
In addition, on November 15, the Boxing and Table Tennis Center hosted the “Evening League” team table tennis tournament. Both professional athletes and representatives of the business program took part in it.
“His Majesty Sport won, it was a friendly tournament. Friendship won, of course,” Sadriev summarized.
The Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan emphasized that such events will become the norm at business forums, which underlines the great interest of young people in international tournaments: “Such international tournaments have a great future.”