We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to take part in the summer session of the CIS Business Summit, which this year will coincide with the State Visit of the Russian President Putin to the United Kingdom.

The Business Summit was first held in London in 1998 by Leading Ventures Associates (LVA) (www.lva.co.uk). Since then, it has become a unique platform for business-to-business and business-to-government dialogue within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and beyond. We anticipate that the proposed "hot" topics for the Summer Session of the Summit will not only stimulate and interesting practical discussion but will also provide an opportunity to suggest concrete action plans for Governments and Business alike.

THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE SUMMER SESSION OF THE CIS BUSINESS SUMMIT ARE:

• International security - focus on strategic business decisions, stability, diplomacy and beyond:
  Has the anti-war diplomacy of Russia and other CIS countries - along with that of France and Germany - embittered previously good diplomatic and business relations with the US and Britain? Is the multi-polar system good for business? Can Russia and other CIS states afford not to have a strong corporate and political lobby in London, Washington and beyond?
• Economic and investment outlook for CIS economies:
  With near-term global economic prospects uncertain, can Russia and the CIS anticipate a slower economic pace? If oil prices fall, how will this effect economic development and reforms in Russia and the CIS? In the wake of BP's strategic move to Russia, will other serious investments follow? Where are the investment opportunities in Russia and the CIS? Will Iraq's foreign debt be written off as a goodwill gesture, and what implications could this have for Soviet-era debt inherited by Russia? How to make strategic investments and avoid being trapped: political and business risk insurance issues
• Corporate development and corporate governance in CIS:
  Corporate governance: defining and negotiating the terms of engagement between business and government. Corporate watchdogs: what should be the limits of their influence? Making the transition from PR measures to a genuine culture of accountability in the CIS. At what price is corporate governance affordable? Evaluating the need for IPO growth in Russia and the CIS.
• Industry focused round tables: Metals & mining; Oil & gas up-stream and downstream; Transportation; Utilities; Food processing and agriculture; Automotive; Chemicals; Financial and Insurance services; Pulp and Paper. How are key industry and service sectors preparing for WTO accession and international competition?

THE ECONOMIC FORUM OF KAZAKHSTAN (incorporated in the CIS Summit Summer session)
Is set to become a universal communication platform which will enable continuous Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government dialogue between Western, Kazakh and CIS participants within the following framework:

• Improving the country's image and building a democratic society
• Improvement of the investment climate in Kazakhstan and Corporate Restructuring
• Developing economic infrastructure - Opportunities for international cooperation
• Unlocking the oil & gas export potential of Kazakhstan

Please find below preliminary agenda for both events as well as a delegate registration form. Please note that members of the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce & Industry are entitled to a 15% discount on the delegate registration fee.

Warmest regards ,

Event management team

Preliminary agenda (14.05.03)

MAIN THEME OF THE SUMMER SESSION OF CIS BUSINESS SUMMIT:

"Uncertain Global Economic Outlook for 2004 and prospects for CIS economies"

25 JUNE, WEDNESDAY

Plenary session: 9.00 - 11.00

International security - focus on strategic business decisions, stability, diplomacy and beyond:

• Does the international security system work? Who will guarantee security and what role will the UN and its members play in keeping peace and sustaining economic development? The UN - the end or the beginning of reform?
• After the Allied campaign in Iraq, will a multi-polar world system prevail in securing peace and business development in the future? Is the multi-polar system good for business? What roles will Russia and CIS countries play?
• Has the anti-war diplomacy of Russia and other CIS countries - along with that of France and Germany - embittered previously good diplomatic and business relations with the US and Britain? Can a "thaw" in the icy diplomatic waters be expected?
• Can Russia and other CIS states afford not to have a strong corporate and political lobby in London, Washington and beyond?
• Will Iraq's foreign debt be written off as a goodwill gesture? What implications could this have for Soviet-era debt inherited by Russia?

Speaker panel: Dr. Armen Sarkissian, Director of the Eurasia Centre at Cambridge University, Former Prime-Minister of Armenia ; Vladimir Petrovski, Special Adviser to UN, Former Deputy Secretary General of United Nations Organisation; Senior representative of the Royal Institute of International Affairs; Helen Teplitskaya, President, Russian-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Senior representative, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; Senior representative of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Robert Wareing, MP, Secretary, All-Party British-Russian Parliamentary Committee; Igor Bunin, Director, Centre for Political Techniques Foundation

Plenary session: 11.30 - 13.00

Economic and investment outlook:

• With near-term global economic prospects uncertain, can Russia and the CIS anticipate a slower economic pace?
• Russia estimates current GDP growth at 6.5% per annum. Can this upward trend be sustained?
• The economies of Russia and Kazakhstan are strongly dependent on commodity output and exports. This "crowds out" development of non-commodity sectors and relating infrastructure (in the non-energy part of the economy in particular). Does the economy need to be re-balanced? If so, how?
• If the oil prices fall further, how will this effect economic development and reforms in Russia and the CIS?
• The EU and Russia: energy dialogue and investment.
• The future of economic reforms in Russia after the elections. Which way will they go?
• Will diversification of international investors away from "safe bets" continue to benefit Russia and other post-Soviet economies?
• In the wake of BP's strategic move to Russia, will other serious investment decisions follow? Where are the investment opportunities in Russia and the CIS?
• Will the impending creation of a common economic space between Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus hinder their prospects for joining the WTO and OECD? Does the move to create a common economic space signify the end of the CIS? The politicians are talking about future EU-Russia trade relations and possible creation of single economic zone between EU and Russia. What do economists and investors think?

Speaker panel: Lord Robert Skidelsky; Alexander Lebedev, President, National Investment Council of Russia (invited); Vladimir Mau, Rector, Academy of National Economy; Elena Telegina, Director, Institute of Geopolitical & Economic Problems of Energy Security; Leading Economist, World Bank; Senior Representative, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Christopher Granville, Chief Strategist, United Financial Group; Evgeniy Yassin, Scientific Supervisor High School of Economics (invited); Grigory Tomchin - Chairman, Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship; Senior representatives from SUAL Holding and Fleming Family & Partners Limited

13.00 Networking lunch

14.30 - 16.30 Round table: The role and responsibility of media and NGOs in today's CIS economies

• Freedom of access to information (disclosure laws for business and politics) and freedom to disseminate information.
• Does the international media's scepticism about the CIS reflect or create scepticism in society?
• Development of independent business media in Russia and CIS.

14.30 - 16.30 Round table: Political risk insurance

• How businesses can be prepared for what their own and other foreign governments do.
• How to make strategic investments and avoid being trapped. Focus on the CIS.

19.00 Drinks reception, followed by dinner

26 JUNE, THURSDAY

Plenary session: 9.00 - 11.00

Corporate development and corporate governance:

• Corporate governance: defining and negotiating the terms of engagement between business and government. Corporate watchdogs: what are the limits of their influence?
• Businesses in the CIS (as well as worldwide) often find themselves "in hot water" for letting down their shareholders, including governments. Which comes first: reputation or profitability? Making the transition from PR measures to a genuine culture of accountability in the CIS. At what price is corporate governance affordable?
• With growing GDP and corporate profitability in Russia and the CIS, intra-regional and outbound investment flows are increasing. Does this mean that we will see more multinational "marriages" between CIS-based businesses and international companies?

Speaker panel: Konstantin Zuev, Deputy Chairman, Russian Federal Commission for the Securities Market; Alexei Zverev, Counsel, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Mats Issakson, Head, Corporate Affairs Division, DAFFE, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (invited); Arthur Levi, Special Representative, International Finance Corporation (invited); Igor Belikov, Managing Director, Russian Institute of Directors; Dmitry Vassiliev, Chairman, Institute for Corporate Law and Governance (invited); Senior representative, Business Leaders Forum; John Dalton, Director, London School of Public Relations.

Plenary session: 11.30 - 13.00

Accessing Foreign Capital Markets:

• Evaluating the potential for IPO growth in Russia and CIS.
• Is IPO a good growth strategy in today's equity markets?
• Listing on the international capital markets: insight into successful strategies in the CIS corporate sector.
• The power of credit ratings: the search for objectivity in the face of today's severely damaged stock market and compromised auditors.
• Investor communications in Russia and CIS: success stories of how competitive corporate governance standards have boosted the confidence of international investors.
• Forecast of the Russian and CIS financials markets - will the growth continue? Any signs of 1998?
• Ongoing conversion to international accounting standards in the CIS - GAAP versus IFRS?

Speaker panel: Mark Jarvis, Partner, Ernst & Young (invited); Michael Cole-Fontayn, Managing Director, Bank of New York; Senior Representative, London Stock Exchange; President of RTS Stock Exchange (invited); Azamat Joldasbekov, President, Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (invited); David Westover, Director, Citigate Dewe Rogerson; David Griffiths, Senior Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, Africa, New York Stock Exchange London; Larissa Malycheva, Senior Director, Fitch Ratings (invited); William Browder, Managing Director, Hermitage Capital Management (invited); Sergei Mikhailov, Managing Director, Management Center (invited); Sergei Voloboyev, Vice President, Emerging Markets, Credit Suisse First Boston; Jeffrey Costello, Chief Executive Officer, Brunswick Warburg International (invited)

13.00 Networking lunch

Industry-focused round tables: how the key industry and service sectors are prepared for WTO accession and international competition?

• Metals & mining
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Oil & gas up-stream and downstream
• Food processing and agriculture
• Chemical and petrochemical
• Textile industry
• Automotive
• Financial services

19.00 Drinks reception, followed by dinner

27 JUNE, FRIDAY

ECONOMIC FORUM OF KAZAKHSTAN

The International Forum of Kazakhstan is the first country-focused Economic Forum to be held under the umbrella of the International Business Summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, administered by LVA since 1998. The Economic Forum of Kazakhstan is set to become a universal communication platform, which will enable continuous Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government dialogue between international, Kazakh and CIS participants within the following framework:

Plenary sessions:

• Improving the country's image and Building democratic society
• Improvement of the investment climate in Kazakhstan and Corporate restructuring
• Developing economic infrastructure - Opportunities for international cooperation
• Development and investments in infrastructure sector, PPP projects
• Unlocking the export potential of Kazakhstan
• Global trade integration of Kazakhstan's market-oriented economy and WTO accession

Speaker panel: Karim Masimov, Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Kazakhstan (invited); Maghit Essenbaev, Minister, Ministry of Industries and Trade of Kazakhstan; Erlan Idrissov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan (invited); Azamat Joldasbekov, President, Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (invited); Nigel Middlemiss, Knowledge Director, ECHO Communications Research Group; Julia Kussidi, Executive Manager, European Business Association of Kazakhstan; Yuri Lavrinenko, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Grigory Marchenko, Chairman, National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (invited); Kazhmurat Nagmanov, Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications (invited); Aigoul Kenjebayeva, Managing Partner, Salans (invited); Mick Essex, Deputy Director, Central Asia and Caucasus, Trade Partners UK (invited); Senior representative, Bovis; Senior representative, Kzatransoil; Asset Yessengaliyev, Executive Director, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy; Senior representative, Kazkommerz Bank

Round tables focused on Kazakhstan:

The Forum will enable industry-focused dialogue on investment, technical modernisation and trade opportunities in the following sectors:

• Metals & mining
• Oil & gas up-stream and downstream
• Transport infrastructure development
• Food processing and agriculture
• Chemical and petrochemical
• Textile industry
• Financial services

19.00: Cocktail reception and Gala Dinner at Churchill Room, House of Commons
hosted by the All Party British-Russian Inter-Parliamentary Committee

DELEGATE REGISTRATION FORM Summer session of the 4th CIS Business Summit 25-27 June, London You can send this form electronically or by fax +44 (0) 208 795 2977 re: ARCCI If you do not wish to receive LVA events information, please click here to unsubscribe.