MFA Press Statement: Visit Of DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Moscow on the occasion of the Second Session of the High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission, 12-14 September 2011

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Minister for Manpower Tharman Shanmugaratnam co-chaired the second High-Level Russia-Singapore Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) with Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin at the Reception House of the Russian Government in Moscow today. The Singapore delegation led by DPM Tharman included Minister of State for Trade, Industry and National Development Lee Yi Shyan and Minister of State for Finance and Transport Josephine Teo, as well as senior officials from various Ministries and agencies.

The IGC was set up in 2010 following the State Visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Singapore in 2009 to enable the two countries to forge broad-based collaboration across different sectors, including trade and investment, industrial development, information technology, tourism, science and education, and culture and the arts.

The event also provided the occasion for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore on Cooperation in the Area of Modernisation of the Economy. The two Ministries have also agreed on a Joint Road Map for the involvement of Singapore companies in various projects in Russia covering sectors such as transport, power, e-government, environmental and engineering solutions.

At the conclusion of the second session of the IGC, the two Co-Chairs signed a Joint Statement on its outcome. The Co-Chairs also witnessed the signing of the MOU by Minister of State Lee and Russian Deputy Minister for Economic Development Andrey Slepnev. The Joint Statement and MOU are attached.

Several Singapore companies are currently active in Russia across different sectors and regions of Russia. Some examples include the following: Jurong Consultants are in discussions with Pskov regional authorities on industrial park development in the Pskov region; Jurong Consultants has also secured projects in Pushchino (Moscow); RSP Architects hopes to finalise negotiations on an IT technology park master-planning project in Kazan; Yantai Raffles is designing a state-of-the-art shipyard in the Russian Far East region of Primorsky; and IDA-International is interested in participating in the Moscow City Council's e-Permits project.

The IGC also underscored the importance of the Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF) as an annual platform to foster greater awareness among businesses of opportunities in Russia and promote bilateral business collaborations. The RSBF will be holding its sixth meeting in Singapore from 25 to 28 September 2011.

Before returning to Singapore on 14 September 2011, DPM Tharman will also have meetings with Russian DPM and Minister for Finance Alexey Kudrin and Head of the Working Group on Establishment of International Finance Centre Alexander Voloshin.

. . . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
13 SEPTEMBER 2011

______________________________________________

JOINT STATEMENT
OF THE SECOND SESSION OF
THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION
BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
The second session of the High-level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission (hereinafter referred to as "the Commission") was held in Moscow on the 13th of September 2011 to promote the development of broad-based cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Singapore (hereinafter referred to as "the Parties").
The session was co-chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation - Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation Mr. V.Volodin and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Minister for Manpower of the Republic of Singapore Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The meeting was held in an atmosphere of cordiality, friendliness and mutual understanding.
The agenda is attached as Annex I.
The lists of the delegations of the Parties are at Annex II.
The Parties agreed on the following areas of cooperation.

Co-operation in Trade and Economy
The Parties noted with satisfaction the growth of Russia-Singapore trade and the development of bilateral economic relations, and also emphasised the potential for further intensification of economic cooperation and business ties. They also noted the importance of strengthening and diversifying the structure of Russia-Singapore trade and economic cooperation and discussed the need to improve the investment climate and business environment for entrepreneurs of the two countries.
The Parties expressed their commitment to support and promote efforts aimed at improving the regulatory framework for bilateral trade and investments and promoting regular, timely and constructive dialogue between business communities and economic agencies/authorities of the two countries. In this connection, the Parties agreed to ensure the completion of their respective internal procedures to bring into force the Singapore-Russia Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA), which was signed during the inaugural session of the Commission held in Singapore on the 27th of September 2010, as the IPPA will facilitate further expansion of bilateral economic trade and investment relations.
The Parties welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore on cooperation in the area of modernisation of the economy.
The Parties took note of the Road Map for the development of the Russia-Singapore co-operation in the medium-term perspective till 2014 in the field of trade and investment, developed by the senior officials on trade and investment of the Commission. The relevant organisations and companies of the two countries will implement the concrete projects according to the provisions of the Road Map.
The Parties noted the active cooperation in Russia's Special Economic Zones (SEZs). They highlighted the 7th meeting of the Joint Russian-Singapore Working Group on SEZs held on the 12th of September 2011, during which the potential involvement of Singapore companies in Russia's SEZs was discussed.
The Parties welcomed the signing on the 19th of July 2011 of the Agreement between the JSC «Pskov Region Development Agency» and Jurong Consultants Private Limited of Singapore on the development of a plan for regional development, business models and attracting investors into the industrial park of Moglino.
The Parties charged the responsible agencies of the two countries to consider the opportunity of signing a MOU between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on cooperation in the development of special economic zones in the Russian Federation.

The Parties agreed that the expansion of contacts between chambers of commerce and industry and other business organisations of the two countries would contribute to the strengthening of trade and economic ties. They also agreed that increased exchanges of visits by business delegations and participation of Russian and Singapore companies in exhibitions, seminars, symposiums and other business events held in each other's country could increase awareness of opportunities for trade and other forms of business collaboration.
The Parties welcomed the 6th Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF), which would be held in Singapore from the 25th to 28th of September 2011, and underscored the importance of the RSBF as an annual platform to foster greater mutual awareness among businesses and promote bilateral business collaborations. The Parties expressed their strong support for the continued success of the RSBF.
The Parties encouraged further discussion between the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation and the Singapore Business Federation regarding the creation of the Russia-Singapore Business Council in order to promote bilateral business cooperation and realization of joint innovation, investment and trade projects.

The Parties noted the interest of Russian banks in developing partnerships in Singapore, and in opening correspondent banking accounts with banks in Singapore to facilitate trade financing and interbank transactions.
The Russian Party welcomed the interest of the Singapore Party to co-operate and assist in the area of power diagnostics and modernisation of Russian airports, which will help Russia in its preparations for upcoming international events such as the Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, the Grand Prix of Russia in 2015 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Parties agreed to expand cooperation within APEC in the context of the forthcoming Chairmanship of the Russian Federation of this forum in 2012, including in such areas as the creation of a favorable environment for trade, investment, economic and technological cooperation, regional economic integration, enhancing and improving transportation and logistics systems, food security, development of innovation policy, etc.
The Parties considered it necessary to hold regular consultations at various levels to exchange views and closely coordinate positions of the two countries.
The Legal Basis of Russia-Singapore Relations
The Parties discussed the present state of the legal basis of Russia-Singapore relations and agreed to expedite the signing of bilateral documents that are currently under consideration, and to assign the relevant agencies of both countries to work out road maps for the conclusion of negotiations and signing of the documents.
Cooperation in Industry
The Parties reaffirmed their interest in further cooperation in the field of shipbuilding, noting the development of the project of shipyard building in the Primorsky Region, implemented by a joint Russian-Singaporean enterprise JSC «Vostok-Raffles».

Cooperation in Information Technology and Communications
The Parties reaffirmed their interest in developing increased cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technology, particularly in areas such as high technology parks, creation and development of an information society and the exchange of experiences in e-Government implementation.
The Parties also stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in the creation of a pro-business IT-environment and charged interested organisations of both countries to intensify collaboration in this respect.
The Russian Party expressed interest in engaging the Singapore Party in the following areas:
- bridging the digital divide and the development of an information society;
- enhancing the competitiveness of the ICT sector and pro-business IT-environment; and
- developing high-technology parks.
The Parties welcomed the development of cooperation between the government-owned management company "Technopark in the high-tech IT Park" (Tatarstan) and Singapore company RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd to undertake the master plan of the "Kazan IT Park". The Parties also advised interested organisations of both countries to consider the possibility of attracting a Singapore company to participate in the "Kazan IT Park" project as a developer.
The Singapore Party informed the Russian Party of its readiness to collaborate in the following areas:
- planning, design and implementation of Government-to-Businesses (G2B), Government-to-Citizens (G2C) and Government-to-Employees (G2E) projects; and
- increased and accelerated co-operation between Russian and Singapore ICT companies.
The Parties expressed readiness to support the collaboration between the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation and the Singapore company IDA International under the framework of the MOU on ICT Collaboration signed in September 2010.
The Singapore Party expressed interest in the sharing of experience in e-government implementation, and is ready to further discuss other projects and the means for their implementation together with the companies from Russia and Singapore.
The Parties urged the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation and the Singapore Company IDA International to work out a road map in the field of ICT.

Cooperation in Energy
The Parties expressed readiness to support promotion of cooperation between Russian and Singapore companies in oil and gas and energy efficiency.
The Parties welcomed the investment activities of Russian oil and gas companies in the energy trading sector in Singapore.
Cooperation in Transport
The Russian Party expressed interest in studying the experience of Singapore and subsequent introduction of advanced transport technologies in the sphere of traffic management in Russian cities similar to Singapore.
Cooperation in Healthcare
The Russian Party confirmed its interest in developing co-operation with Singapore in the provision of high-tech medical care, as well as in the coordination of development, implementation and replication of advanced medical technologies, including in the Far East of Russia.
Cooperation in Science and Education
The Parties positively assessed the prospects of bilateral co-operation in education through partnerships between institutions of high education. The Parties welcomed the collaboration between Singapore Company and Kazan (Tatarstan) in the professional development programmes for teachers. The Parties also welcomed possible tie-ups and partnerships between the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO and similar institutions in Singapore.
The Russian Party informed the Singapore Party of its readiness to consider positively the allocation of quotas for the training of Singapore citizens in institutions of higher education of the Russian Federation at the expense of federal budget funds in response to relevant requests by the Singapore Party. The Singapore Party informed the Russian Party of its willingness to consider the offer of some postgraduate scholarships for Russian students to study in Singapore tertiary institutions. The Russian Party informed the Singapore Party of its practice of granting public support for scientific researches, conducted under the guidance of leading researchers, including foreign researchers, in Russian universities.
The Parties positively assessed the prospects of Russia-Singapore scientific and technical cooperation, noting as well that the Skolkovo Innovation City project ("Innograd") was one such opportunity for an expansion of cooperation in this area in the future.
Cooperation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The Parties welcomed the cooperation of small and medium-sized enterprises of both countries and encouraged the respective business associations to engage each other to promote and facilitate such cooperation.

Cultural Cooperation
The Parties charged the responsible agencies of the two countries to intensify the level of collaboration in the fields of art, culture and heritage.
The Parties noted the ongoing discussions on the proposed establishment of a Russian Cultural Center and Russian Orthodox Church in Singapore and encouraged the responsible agencies of the two countries to facilitate a positive outcome.

The Parties recommended to consider the possibility to develop the MOU between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts of the Republic of Singapore on co-operation for 2012-2014.
Cooperation in Tourism
The Parties noted the importance of increasing tourist flows for the economies of both countries. The Parties agreed to continue the work in the following spheres of cooperation where appropriate:
- exchange of statistical and other information in the field of tourism;
- exchange of experience in the training of personnel in the sphere of tourism;
- exchange of information on new investment projects in the sphere of tourism; and
- assistance in the promotion of national tourism products on the territories of their countries, in particular, promotion of participation of Russian and Singapore tourist organizations in international tourism exhibitions and other relevant activities undertaken under the support of national tourism administrations.
The Parties noted the possibilities of cooperation in tourism within the framework of international organisations, such as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Cooperation in Agriculture
The Russian Party invited the Singapore Party to explore cooperation in the creation of integrated agro-industrial zones in the Russian Far East.
The Parties expressed their interest in developing cooperation in the creation of agricultural import substitution enterprises in Russia using Singapore's innovative technologies and equipment.
Third Session of the Commission
The Parties expressed their satisfaction with the results of the second session of the Commission and agreed to hold the third session of the Commission in the Republic of Singapore in 2012. The specific dates and venue of the third session of the Commission will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
Done at Moscow on the 13th of September 2011, in duplicate, in the Russian and English languages, both versions being equally authentic.
Chairman of the Russian Party of the Commission,
Deputy Chairman of the Government
of the Russia Federation - Chief of Staff of the Government
of the Russian Federation

Chairman of the Singapore Party
of the Commission,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Minister for Manpower of the Republic of Singapore
V.Volodin Tharman Shanmugaratnam

ANNEX I

SECOND SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION,
RECEPTION HOUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, MOSCOW, 13 SEPTEMBER 2011

AGENDA

DATE / TIME PROGRAMME REMARKS
9.00 am - 9.35 am MEETING BETWEEN CO-CHAIRS OF THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

Venue: House of the Government of the Russian Federation

Consecutive Interpretation
9.40 am -
9.50 am OPENING REMARKS BY CO-CHAIRS

1. DPM Volodin
2. DPM Simultaneous Interpretation

5 minutes each
9.50 am -
10.32 am SESSION 1:

ECONOMIC, TRADE AND INVESTMENT COOPERATION
Duration: 42 min

Russia to lead:
Mr Andrei A. Slepnev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development

Singapore to respond:
Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development

Investment in the Regions of the Russian Federation

Russia to lead:

Mr Andrei Turchak, Governor of the Pskov Region

Mr Nikolai A Nikiforov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Informatisation and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan

Singapore to respond:

Mr Tang Tat Kwong, CEO, Jurong Consultants

Mr Hasan Malik, Business Development Manager and Legal Officer, RSP Architects

Simultaneous Interpretation

10.32 am -
10.44 am SESSION 2:

COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Duration: 12 min

Singapore to lead:
Mr Seah Chin Siong, CEO, IDA International

Russia to respond:
Mr Ilya I. Massukh, Deputy Minister of Mass Communication
Simultaneous Interpretation

10.44 am -
11.08 am SESSION 3:

COOPERATION IN HUMANITARIAN, CULTURE SPHERES AND TOURISM
Duration: 24 min

Russia to lead:
Mr Igor N. Morozov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency on CIS, Compatriots Abroad and Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo)

Mr Aleksander V. Radkov, Head of the Federal Tourism Agency

Singapore to respond:
RAdm Sim Gim Guan, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts

Mr Stanley Loh, Deputy Secretary (International), MFA
Simultaneous Interpretation

11.10 am -
11.20 am CLOSING REMARKS BY CO-CHAIRS

1. DPM Volodin
2. DPM Simultaneous Interpretation
11.20 am SIGNING CEREMONY FOR A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE ON THE ECONOMY MODERNISATION [TBC]

Venue: House of the Government of the Russian Federation

Russian Signatory:
Andrei A. Slepnev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development [TBC]

Singapore Signatory:
Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry [TBC]
11.22 am SIGNING CEREMONY FOR A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON COLLABORATION ON DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL PARK IN FEDERATION OF RUSSIA [TBC]

Venue: House of the Government of the Russian Federation

Russian Signatory:
Mr Andrei Turchak, Governor of the Pskov Region [TBC]

Singapore Signatory:
Mr Tang Tat Kwong, CEO, Jurong Consultants [TBC]

11.25 am SIGNING OF THE JOINT STATEMENT OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

Venue: House of the Government of the Russian Federation

Russian Signatory:
Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Prime Minister

Singapore Signatory:
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister
11.30 am JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

Venue: House of the Government of the Russian Federation Presentation of Joint Statement by the Co-Chairmen

There will be no questions from the press.

ANNEX II

SECOND SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION,
RECEPTION HOUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, MOSCOW, 13 SEPTEMBER 2011

DELEGATION LISTS

RUSSIA

1. Mr Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman and Chief of Staff of the Government - Co-Chair

2. Mr Andrey Slepnev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Deputy Chairman of the IGC

3. Mr Yevgeniy Popov, Deputy Director of Asia and Africa Department, Ministry of Economic Development, and Executive Secretary of the IGC

4. Mr Sergey Aristov, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport

5. Mr Nikolay Volobuev, Chairman of the Russian Singapore Business Council and Deputy Director General of the Russian Technologies State Corporation

6. Mr Alexander Karchava, Deputy Director, 3rd Asia Department, MFA

7. Mr Ilya Massukh, Deputy Minister of Mass Communications

8. Mr Igor Morozov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency on CIS, Compatriots Abroad and Humanitarian Cooperation

9. Mr Nikolay Nikiforov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Informatisation and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan

10. Mr Andrei Turchak, Governor, Pskov Region

11. Mr Roman Panov, Deputy Minister of Regional Development

12. Mr Alexander Radkov, Head of Federal Tourism Agency

13. Mr Vladimir Strashko, Vice-President of Chamber and Commerce and Industry of Russia

14. Mr Sergey Strashnikov, Deputy Director, Department for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture

15. Mr Mikhail Strikhanov, Head of the National Scientific Nuclear University

16. Mr Vasiliy Titov, First Deputy President and Chairman of VTB Bank

17. Mr Anatoliy Yanovsky, Deputy Minister of Energy

SINGAPORE

1. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Manpower - Co-Chair

2. Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development

3. Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister of State for Finance and Transport

4. Mr Simon Tensing de Cruz, Singapore Ambassador to Russia

5. Mr Stanley Loh, Deputy Secretary (International), Ministry of Foreign Affairs

6. Rear Admiral Sim Gim Guan, Deputy Secretary (Info and Corporate Management), Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts

7. Mr Tang Tat Kwong, CEO, Jurong Consultants

8. Mr Seah Chin Siong, CEO, IDA International

9. Mr Tan Wooi Leong, VP, Jurong Consultants

10. Ms Lim Kheng Hua, Director (International Organisations), Ministry of Foreign Affairs

11. Mr Zainal Arif Mantaha, Director (Europe), Ministry of Foreign Affairs

12. Mr Francis Chong, Director (Emerging Markets), Ministry of Trade and Industry

13. Mr Ho Chee Hin, Group Director, International Enterprise Singapore

14. Mr Kevin Foo, Special Assistant to DPM

15. Mr Hasan Malik, Business Development Manager and Legal Officer, RSP Architects

. . . . .

_____________________________

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore on Cooperation in the Area of Modernization of the Economy

The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore (hereinafter referred to as "the Parties"), aiming at further development of bilateral trade, investment and economic relations, have reached the following mutual understanding:

1. The Parties admit the importance of and need for the modernization process, and consider their cooperation in the area of innovative development and the creation of breakthrough technologies, which would be environmentally friendly and contribute to enhancing people's living standards and enable the implementation of their creative potential, to be an integral part of the modernization process.

2. The Parties intend to support and promote efforts aimed at improving the business climate for trade and investments, and conducting a regular, well-timed and constructive dialogue between both countries' business communities and executive authorities, especially in cases concerning changes in the Parties' regulatory framework regarding bilateral trade and investments.

3. The Parties will encourage mutual investments in innovative technologies, creating and marketing of modern competitive products, and will contribute to eliminating obstacles and restrictions which hamper the free economically feasible exchange of the results of such activities.

4. In accordance with their mutual interest and the aims of their policies on science and technology, the Parties may explore developing and broadening cooperation in science and technology by exchanging information and know-how in the field of science and technology, as well as facilitating the exchange of scientific personnel, including students.

5. The Parties will support Singaporean companies' participation in the Skolkovo Innovation Center, and promote their activities on the territory of special economic zones in the Russian Federation in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation.

6. The Parties will support the Russia Singapore Business Forum and interaction between the business circles' associations of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Singapore.

7. The Parties intend to assist close cooperation in the field of environment protection, including the development and implementation of eco-friendly technologies.

8. The Parties will cooperate in trade and investment at the regional level, especially in the area of energy efficiency and new energy technologies.

9. The Parties intend to continue the useful and regular dialogue, placing special emphasis on the further development of bilateral cooperation on the issues regarding modernization.

10. This Memorandum is not a legally-binding international agreement and does not create any rights and obligations under international law.

11. This Memorandum will be carried out in accordance with the respective laws and regulations of the States of the Parties.

Signed in Moscow, on 13 September 2011 in two originals, each in Russian and English.

For the Ministry of
Economic Development
of the Russian Federation

_______________________ For the Ministry of Trade and Industry
of the Republic of Singapore

_______________________

Andrey Slepnev Lee Yi Shyan
Deputy Minister of Economy Minister of State for Trade, Industry and National Development