Kazan will host the II The International Forum “Sprouts: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation” from 13 to 15 November. The event is aimed at strengthening ties between the regions of Russia and China.

Delegations from 41 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and 21 provinces of the People’s Republic of China, as well as diplomats, parliamentarians, government members and entrepreneurs are expected to arrive in the capital of Tatarstan. In addition, representatives of several states are scheduled to attend: Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, Senegal, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said about the high level of ties between Tatarstan and partners in China. “I am pleased to state that Tatarstan has accumulated a rich experience of successful interaction with Chinese friends. Diplomatic ties are maintained, agreements on trade, economic and scientific-technical profiles are being implemented”

Sergey Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister

In turn, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov noted the positive dynamics of development of cooperation between the Russian region and China. In particular, in 2023, trade turnover increased by 58 per cent to US$1.6 billion. “China remains one of the largest trade partners for Tatarstan, supplying a wide range of goods and services, including products of mechanical engineering, electronics, textile industry and other industries”

Rustam Minnikhanov
Head of the Republic of Tatarstan

The centrepiece of the forum will be the plenary session “Russia and China in the global economic game”, which will be attended by representatives of the regions of the two countries and leading Chinese companies. The agenda of the meeting will include discussion of the role of Moscow and Beijing in the modern world, their common interests and prospects for cooperation. Another important event of the forum will be the Russia-China Expo exhibition, which will showcase products, services and projects of the leading companies of the two countries. It is expected that the event will become a platform for meetings of representatives of the business community.

The business programme of the forum includes a total of 70 sessions devoted to a wide range of topics, such as industrial and infrastructure development, cooperation in culture and education, tourism and social sphere. The participants will be able to visit the leading enterprises and state institutions of the republic. The forum guests are also expected to enjoy more than just a business programme. In the Cross-Cultural Zone of Russia and China it will be possible to get acquainted with the heritage and traditions of the peoples of the two countries. There will be fashion shows and performances by creative groups, lectures and masterclasses on languages, crafts and trades. Days of Chinese cinema will be held during the forum.

Besides, this track includes competitions in modern sports such as hockey, chess and table tennis, as well as in traditional Weiqi (Go) – one of the oldest board games, which is more than five thousand years old. Last year, the first forum “Sprouts: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation” was also held in Kazan. It was attended by more than seven thousand people from 25 countries from 58 regions of the Russian Federation. At that time, 21 agreements were signed between Russia and China.

Photo: iStock