METROPOL Group :: METROPOL GROUP Director General Mr Mikhail Slipenchuk took part in the international conference “Development of Economic Relations in Northeast Asia” and met his business partners in Japan.

16 February 2011

METROPOL GROUP Director General Mr Mikhail Slipenchuk took part in the international conference “Development of Economic Relations in Northeast Asia” and met his business partners in Japan.

During his trip to Japan Director General of METROPOL GROUP Mr Mikhail Slipenchuk participated in the international annual conference “Development of Economic Relations in Northeast Asia” that took place in Neegata February 15–16th, 2010. The event was attended by scientists, politicians, economists and businessmen from Japan, China, Mongolia and Russia. The conference has been held since 2000 under guidance of Japanese Institute of Economic Research in Northeast Asia (ERINA) and is aimed at developing multilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in the region.

This year the conference centered on prospects for ecologically pure energy sources as well as the developmental trends in industry and transport infrastructure and importance of financial co-operation in these spheres. Mr Mikhail Slipenchuk spoke at the conference round-table session named “The Improvement of Business Environment in Russia and the Russian Far East”. Until recently no huge business projects between Russia and Japan in the Russian Far East have been underway. The aim of the session was to reveal major obstacles that impede the development of bilateral relations. Session participants voiced concrete plans and suggestions that can help solve these problems and favour business relations development.

“While Russia is very rich in natural resources, Japan, due to absence of such resources, has accumulated huge potential in the sphere of their processing technologies. So, interaction of Russian natural resources and Japanese technologies is likely to produce good synergetic effect. It’s the case when one plus one equals not two but eleven”, - Mikhail Slipenchuk pointed out at the conference.

During his visit Mr Mikhail Slipenchuk also had a number of meetings with his Japanese partners, in particular SBI Holdings President Mr Kitao Esitaka.

A new agreement was signed with SBI Holdings in terms of completing the deal, according to which SBI Holdings purchases 50% shares of the United Investment Bank (OBIBANK, a METROPOL Group company) authorized capital.