FBA EAC Delegation Participated in the RUIE-2026 Congress
The Congress of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) was hosted by the National Center "Russia," serving as a key forum for dialogue between business and government. The FBA EAC delegation included Li Shuobing, Association's President; Alexander Murichev, RUIE Vice President, Chairman of the FBA EAC Board; Alexander Kotlyarsky, First Vice President of FBA EAC, member of the FBA EAC Board Bureau; Manish Kumar, Deputy Chairman of the FBA EAC Board. The presence of the Association's leadership and delegates enabled them to directly evaluate the range of initiatives under discussion, which will influence the future development of Russian economy.
The Congress's central event was the re-election of Alexander Shokhin as the RUIE head. President Vladimir Putin addressed the participants, congratulating Shokhin on his re-election and highlighting the significance of trust-based cooperation between government and business, while assuring continued efforts to reduce administrative barriers for entrepreneurs.
A prominent topic of discussion at the Congress was monetary policy. Alexander Shokhin noted that business concerns regarding the economy's "overcooling" due to the high key interest rate were being reflected in last year's statistics, which showed a decline in investments. Elvira Nabiullina, the Head of the Central Bank, cautioned against exaggerating the situation, emphasizing that Russia possesses all necessary reserves for development, and the downward trend in interest rates has commenced.
Significant attention was devoted to fiscal policy and efficiency. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov urged businesses to reduce costs and optimize expenses, noting that the government is aligned in this direction. He also announced the inclusion of additional oil and gas revenues in the budget in the near term. Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, addressed labor productivity and staffing, setting a goal to involve up to 12 million individuals in employment over the next seven years.
Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister, reported on the continued low unemployment rate (at 2.2%). The Head of Gazprom Neft discussed the damper mechanism. Denis Manturov provided a positive assessment of the investment climate, emphasizing Russia's ability to avoid investment stagnation despite a tight monetary policy.
The RUIE Congress in 2026 reaffirmed its status as the primary discussion platform where consolidated business demands are articulated. The participation of the FBA EAC delegation in this event facilitated synchronization with the current agenda, encompassing credit resource availability, the tax burden, and the need to maintain "normal conditions" for friendly foreign companies, as Alexander Shokhin also mentioned regarding the prospects for global settlement and the lifting of sanctions.
For the Association, participation in such high-level events is integral to its systematic analytical work. The evaluation of the initiatives presented at the Congress will enable timely orientation of our partners and participants in the Eurasian business community towards both business needs and government policies outlined by senior officials.