by Vena Crum
A distinguished group of more than 200 Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. business executives and government officials gathered at the Chicago Hilton & Towers September 27 to September 29, 1995 to discuss the state of business markets in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In addition to featuring informative panels on a variety of topics concerning economic prospects and market conditions in the CIS, the conference offered an informal, interactive atmosphere with numerous opportunities for attendees to network, exchange information, and expand business relations.
The American-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ARCCI) had the honor of co-sponsoring this event with the Council for Trade and Economic Cooperation CIS-USA (CTEC), the World Trade Center Chicago Association, and the Russian Financial Corporation. The ARCCI played the special role of inviting the American speakers, and collaborated with co-sponsors on the program design, site visits and meeting arrangements.
The opening ceremony on the 27th featured a number of distinguished speakers, notably Arkady I. Volsky, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs; Andrey A. Nechayev, President of the Russian Financial Corporation; Neil F. Hartigan, Chairman of the World Trade Center Chicago Association; and Boris P. Alekseyev, President of CTEC. Mr. Volsky followed the opening ceremonies with his unique perspective on both Russia in its current state of economic development and U.S.-Russian trade relations.
Feature presentations were made by Dr. Susanne Lotarski, Director of the Office of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Independent States, United States Department of Commerce; Andrey G. Svinarenko, Deputy Minister of the Economy, Russian Federation; and Patrick Arbor, Chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade and Chairman of the Investment Fund for Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. The first panel, on U.S. Export Financing for Russia and the CIS, was composed of many seasoned experts, including Thomas Moran, Vice President for Africa and Europe, EXIM Bank; Daliah Korsun-O'Malley, Senior Business Advisor, Center for Trade and Investment Services; Michael Guerin, International Trade Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce; and Laura Skoko, Senior International Marketing Consultant with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. Stanley Bokota, Director of the Export Assistance Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, moderated the panel.
Mr. Alfred Kokh, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation State Property Committee, provided one of the highest points of the conference in his role as luncheon speaker, giving an excellent presentation on the current state of and the future of privatization in Russia.
The afternoon session was continued by V. N. Zabara, First Deputy Minister of Industry, Military Industrial Complex and Conversion of Ukraine; Andrey Nechayev, President, Russian Financial Corporation; and Konstantin Korischenko, Director of Securities, Central Bank of Russia.
The final panel of the day, on U.S.-CIS trade, joint ventures and investment, featured several distinguished members of ARCCI. Moderated by John D. Nowell, President of Pioneer Metals and Technology, the panel included James T. Hitch III, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, and Thomas M. Jones, Partner, McDermott, Will and Emery, both speaking on the legal infrastructure in the CIS. James MacLaughlin, Vice President of Motorola, recounted his company's experience in Russia, and Nick Raby, Director of European Tax Services, Coopers & Lybrand, commented on the taxation issues facing business executives in the CIS today.
Following committee meetings on the morning of the 28th, the conference was fortunate to host as its luncheon speaker Ambassador James F. Collins, Senior Coordinator, Office of the Ambassador at Large for the New Independent States, U.S. Department of State, who delivered a compelling address about intergovernmental collaboration and its effects on trade and the new markets.
In the afternoon, panel spotlighted Ambassador Thomas W. Simons, Jr., Former Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to the Newly Independent States, U.S. Department of State; T. Don Stacy, Chairman and President of Amoco Eurasia Petroleum Company; James A. McClung, Vice President, FMC Corporation; C. Anthony Boon, Vice President of ABN-AMRO North America; Michael Neuman, Executive Vice President & COO, Golub & Company; Ilya Oshman, Senior Vice president, U.S. Russia Investment Fund; and Muriel Burpoe, Deputy Vice President, OPIC.
During the annual meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Cooperation, ARCCI President Helen Teplitskaia was elected to the Board of Directors. The culmination of the forum was the dinner in honor of Mr. Andrey Kozyrev, then Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation and now a Deputy in the Russian Duma. Introduced by the Hon. Neil Hartigan, Mr. Kozyrev delivered an outstanding address on the U.S.-Russian relations and perspectives for growth of economic cooperation.
The final day of the forum consisted of individual business meetings, tours, and networking. The ARCCI directors arranged a meeting with Patrick Arbor, Chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade, to discuss investment opportunities in Ukraine and Belarus, and led a tour to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.