Moscow, Russia

Philippe Pegorier, Partner at Kesarev and Board Member of the Association of the European Businesses in Russia (AEB), participated in the closed meeting of CEOs for Russia of twenty major European companies with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the business environment of foreign companies working in Russia. Meeting participants represented the auto industry, energy, IT, retail and utility sectors.

During the meeting, participants openly discussed with Minister Lavrov their views on the following topics:

• Perspectives on bilateral relations between Russia and the EU amid imposed sanctions and the ongoing pandemic;
• Strategy for the economic modernization of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union based on modern domestic technological solutions;
• Perspectives on Russia-Germany bilateral relations in the aftermath of the recent Federal elections in Germany;
• Russia's regulation of visa support for Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS) entering Russia's labor market to manage the operations of foreign companies.

Minister Lavrov stated that the EU remains a very important economic partner for Russia and proposed to continue dialogue based on a pragmatic approach. "Business cooperation, business projects, mutual investment and trade are obvious areas where the common interests of Russia and the EU coincide", he said.

Minister Lavrov also promised that the status of foreign businessmen, including Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS), would not be negatively impacted by regulation currently being prepared by the Minister of Internal Affairs, as their ability to enter and exit Russia directly affects the investment climate in the country.

The meeting was organized by the Association of European Businesses in Russia (AEB).