Participants of the press conference included Andrey Slepnev, Member of the Board – Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission; Pasquale Terracciano, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Russian Federation; Antonio Fallico, Chairman of Banca Intesa and President of Conoscere Eurasia; Alexander Stuglev, CEO and Chairman of the Roscongress Foundation.
“Discussion in Verona will focus on the most pressing issues of the global agenda, such as international macroeconomic relations, cooperation in energy and finance, digitalization, and infrastructure development. Enhancing global trade becomes even more important in the light of losses incurred by the COVID19 pandemic. This is why Greater Eurasia from the Atlantic to the Pacific is among the most promising macroregions in terms of cooperation and recovery,” said Professor Fallico.
He added that genetics and genome studies would become a new topic for discussion at the Forum. They have the potential for improving healthcare for the whole humanity and reaching a breakthrough in many segments of the economy. A session on the ways to overcome social injustice will be another novelty of the business programme.
CEO and Chairman of the Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev announced that the Forum would combine the online and offline formats. Key sessions will be broadcast online. They will also be available on the pages of the Forum and Roscongress on social networks. Preparations have been made to ensure this.
“Topics on the Forum’s agenda and business programme remain relevant under new conditions. The Forum in Verona is among the key events that discuss development of Eurasia. We have registered that businesses are in need of live discussions and meetings and an open dialogue. We are confident that even if talks at the Forum fail to tell us what the pandemic will turn the world in, they will still help partners from different counties of the region to hear each other, find common solutions and touchpoints, and determine the relations format for the near future,” said Alexander Stuglev.
He noted the need for discussing the condition of today’s medicine and global transformation of healthcare systems in the new reality. The Forum business programme will engulf these issues. Apart from that, it will offer a session on the role of creative industries in economic development.
“Today, it becomes vital to promote the dialogue among both government agencies and all parts of the civil society, including entrepreneurs as its cornerstone. Thus, the crisis so many countries are going through and trying so hard to overcome should not be viewed as purely negative: for civil societies and state economies it’s an opportunity to change things for the better. This is why I am confident that the Verona format becomes even more important this year and helps address new and interesting topics for discussion. Italy and Russia are the countries that can boast great economic ties that go back in history. They are rooted in centuries of friendship and goodwill shared by both countries, the love Russians have for Italy, its culture, traditions, and lifestyle, as well as the ways our economies complement each other,” stated Pasquale Terracciano, Ambassador of Italy to Russia.
Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Andrey Slepnev noted existing contradictory tendencies. On the one hand, the markets are experiencing a higher competition due to a lower demand. On the other hand, physical ties are growing weak: members of the business community do not meet in person; tourist flow goes down; logistics costs go up.
“We find ourselves at a historic turning point. After the pandemic, the Greater Eurasia can either become stronger or fall apart. No doubt, these are dangerous tendencies that inspire economic isolation. We need to overcome them. In this regard, we need countercyclical policies that will help us achieve lower risks and lower costs for businesses. I believe that the Forum in Verona can provide us with enough food for thought on what we can do in regulation, infrastructure, e-trade, and digitalization,” shared Andrey Slepnev.
Participants of the press conference addressed the events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and World War II that will take place in Verona shortly prior to the Forum on 20–21 October.
The town of Caldiero in the vicinity of Verona will host the Assembly in the memory of Vladimir Tulisko, a Soviet partisan. Together with Italian partisans, he fought under the nickname of Villi and was killed on 25 April 1945. Assembly participants will include public officials and representatives of veteran associations from several European countries. Caldiero will also host the official reinternment ceremony of partisan Villi and the opening of a monument to him created through collaboration between the famous Italian sculptor Matteo Cavaioni and a young Russian sculptor Nadezhda Golysheva. Nives Manara will illustrate a book for kids about partisan Villi.
The central square of Verona will offer a photo exhibition on the liberation of European capitals. Mosfilm studio will support screenings of war films. Verona will also host a conference on the 75th anniversary of the Victory that will bring in Russian, Italian, and European historians.
The celebration will climax with ‘The Songs
of Our Victory’, a concert featuring the world famous Turetsky Choir, in Teatro
Filarmonico of Verona.
