His Excellency Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, participated in the 14th International Economic Forum, held during 18-19 May in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. In this context, H.E. attended the forum’s official opening ceremony and participated in the opening session.
H.E. Mr. Al-Khater also participated in a panel discussion titled “International Trends of Foreign Direct Investments: The Role of Russia and Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member-States.”
His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry stressed during his participation in the session that the State of Qatar is eager, within the framework of its economic openness, to consolidate its foreign relations and devote cooperation with its various trade partners, particularly the Federal Republic of Russia and the Republic of Tatarstan, noting the strength and durability of the historical and strategic partnership that binds between Qatar and these two countries.
H.E. commended the State of Qatar’s long-standing relations with the Republic of Tatarstan, stating that the state strives to create successful commercial and economic partnerships as an inherent aspect of Qatari-Russian relations.
He also emphasized the importance of working to strengthen communication and coordination bridges with partners in Tatarstan to diversify and increase partnership opportunities between the two countries’ business sectors, especially since Tatarstan is an important economic destination within the Russian Federation and has many investment opportunities and capabilities that Qatari companies can benefit from.
In the context of discussing the Qatari economy and the country’s investment environment, he stated that the State of Qatar has been able to maintain its balanced economic growth despite the various global changes it has witnessed over the last three years, referring to expectations that its GDP will grow by about 2.4% in the year 2023. This is in addition to several international organizations agreeing on the country’s excellent credit rating and stable economic outlook.
In this regard, H.E. Mr. Al-Khater invited investors from around the world to take advantage of the country’s stable economic environment, significant legislative and administrative incentives and advantages, and the diverse package of solutions provided by the country to investors looking to enter the country’s local markets and expand in the region, including advanced infrastructure, industrial and logistical areas, and free zones capable of meeting all of the needs of enterprises operating in the key sectors.
Finally, His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry expressed his hope that this meeting would serve as a motivator and catalyst for renewing determination and continuing work to invest in available opportunities and broaden the horizons of a partnership between the State of Qatar, the Federal Republic of Russia, and the Republic of Tatarstan in various fields, in a way that supports development goals and common aspirations to achieve sustainable economic prosperity.
On the sidelines of the forum, H.E. Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater held individual meetings with several high government officials. In this context, H.E. met with H.E. Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Russian Federation, and several senior government officials of the Republic of Tatarstan. H.E. Mr. Al-Khater also met with H.E. Mr. Oleg Korobchenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan. The meeting was attended by Mr. Hermann Lerner, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan.
H.E. Mr. Al-Khater also met with Ms. Taliya Minullina, Chief Executive of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.
The meeting featured previewing issues of common interest aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade, investment, and industry.
During the meeting, H.E. the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry showcased the successful economic policies Qatar has put in place to support the private sector and pointed out the incentives, legislations, and promising opportunities that are aimed at encouraging investors, businessmen, and business owners to invest in Qatar.
His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry toured the Russia Halal Expo exhibition, which is being held as part of the forum’s activities. H.E. was briefed on the various pavilions, services, and products provided by the participating companies and institutions.
During the tour, H.E. Mr. Sultan bin Rashid Al-Khater met with H.E. Mr. Rustam Muratov, Deputy First Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Investment Policy of the Republic of Bashkortostan and H.E. Ms. Margarita Bolytcheva, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Congress Activity of Bashkortostan. Officials discussed issues of common interest and prospects for cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Bashkortostan in the sectors of trade, investment, and industry.
The Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum aims to strengthen trade, economic, scientific, technical, educational, social, and cultural ties between the regions of the Russian Federation and the member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The forum witnessed the organization of many events and panel discussions that focused on several topics, including sectors of Islamic finance, halal industry, international cooperation, logistics, industry, sustainable development, environmental, social, and institutional governance, information technology, innovation, investment, entrepreneurship, SMEs, education, medicine, and sports.
During the forum, a session entitled “Russia – the Islamic World: Media Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Economic Prosperity” was organized for media representatives with the participation of heads of national news agencies of the OIC member States and the Russian Federation. During the session, a discussion took place on the role and opportunities of the media in the OIC countries and Russia in solving global sustainable development issues, in addition to shedding light on the prospects for information partnership.
