Published Wednesday, 05 September, 2007 at 01:53 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
SMART STATE LAUNCHES LUCRATIVE RUSSIA PLAN AHEAD OF APEC
Premier Peter Beattie today announced a strategy to spearhead investment and trade opportunities and strengthen ties between the Smart State and the Russian Federation.
“In just three years Russia has moved from being our 41st largest merchandise export destination to our 21st – and rising,” Mr Beattie said.
“That’s a phenomenal rate of growth, from AUS$35.2 million in 2003-04 to AUS$344.2 million in 2006-07,” he said.
“Through a new, targeted Queensland Russia: Towards 2010 strategy we will be showing how serious we are about building stronger global relationships and returning dividends to our partners, the Smart State and its people.”
The three key elements of the new plan will include:
Partnerships In Innovation: Building links between Smart State universities, researchers and companies. This will include satellite and related technologies, agriculture, mining and energy.
Regional Russia: Linking flourishing regions of Russia with Smart State industries and services. This will include signing protocols of cooperation, business partnering and staff and student exchanges.
Trade and Investment Growth Plan: This will include a Trade Mission to Russia in 2008, increasing Queensland’s visibility within Russia, attracting Russian delegations and media to visit and take part in events in Queensland, and provide targeted training and mentoring for Queensland companies. It will also include providing targeted training and mentoring to Queensland companies entering the Russian market.
Mr Beattie unveiled the plan at the Russia Australia Business Forum – a lead-in event to APEC, and the only one to be held outside of Sydney.
It has been co-hosted in Brisbane by the Queensland Government, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Academy of Business and newspaper Vedemosti.
Russian Minister for Agriculture and Co-Chairman of the Russian-Australian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, His Excellency Mr Alexei Gordeyev, is attending the forum and heading the largest senior delegation from Russia to visit Queensland to date.
Mr Beattie said the long-term value of developing trade partnerships and engaging with regional Russia cannot be underestimated.
“Since 2003, Russia has been recording growth rates of 6-8% – more than double the European Union,” said the Premier.
He commended Queensland showing the way for others to follow, including Mincom, which provides specialist software to the Russian mining industry, and Red Oxygen – a leading developer of enterprise SMS/text messaging software which recently signed an agreement with Russian company The Vimpel Group.
“Queensland primary industries are cracking into the Russian market with Australian Rural Exports (Austrex) Pty Ltd successfully delivering one of the first ever consignments of beef breeding cattle to the Russian Market,” Mr Beattie said.
In the knowledge sector, a Protocol of Cooperation with the Moscow City Government signed by the Premier last year has welcomed its first work placement in the Smart State, with Mr Nikolay Akimov, of Moscow’s City University’s Procurement Department, starting a 10-week program with Griffith University and other agencies on August 31.
Last year in Moscow Mr Beattie announced a Russian language scholarship, funded for three years by the Queensland Government and The University of Queensland.
Mr Alistair Tweed began his scholarship at UQ earlier this year, with the university reporting a 50% increase in the number of students studying Russian, up to 53 students since the scholarship was launched.
“Not only will greater engagement with Russia provide business and trade opportunities, but it will give students and workers a chance to gain experience overseas and become valuable members of the global economy,” said the Premier.
In a significant gesture, Minister Alexei Gordeyev presented Queensland with a sculpture by Sergei Bychkov – a two metre tall, bronze statue of Konstantin Tsiolkovski, founder of theoretical astronautics who is regarded the father of space flight.
“On behalf of the people of Queensland I am humbled to receive such a significant gift, recognising Queensland’s international reputation as the Smart State and our future role in the knowledge industries,” Mr Beattie said.
“I am pleased to announce it will have a permanent home at the Planetarium, Mt Coot-tha, for the enjoyment of all Queenslanders and reminder of our strong ties with Russia.”
Among senior officials joining Minister Gordeyev in Brisbane are:
• Mr Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs;
• His Excellency Mr Viktor Kress, Governor of the Tomsk Region;
• Ms Irina Gorbulina, President of the Russian Academy of Business;
• Mr Sergey Chernyshev, Director of the Department of International Economic Relations, Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade;
• Mr Yuri Trushin, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Agricultural Bank.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
“In just three years Russia has moved from being our 41st largest merchandise export destination to our 21st – and rising,” Mr Beattie said.
“That’s a phenomenal rate of growth, from AUS$35.2 million in 2003-04 to AUS$344.2 million in 2006-07,” he said.
“Through a new, targeted Queensland Russia: Towards 2010 strategy we will be showing how serious we are about building stronger global relationships and returning dividends to our partners, the Smart State and its people.”
The three key elements of the new plan will include:
Partnerships In Innovation: Building links between Smart State universities, researchers and companies. This will include satellite and related technologies, agriculture, mining and energy.
Regional Russia: Linking flourishing regions of Russia with Smart State industries and services. This will include signing protocols of cooperation, business partnering and staff and student exchanges.
Trade and Investment Growth Plan: This will include a Trade Mission to Russia in 2008, increasing Queensland’s visibility within Russia, attracting Russian delegations and media to visit and take part in events in Queensland, and provide targeted training and mentoring for Queensland companies. It will also include providing targeted training and mentoring to Queensland companies entering the Russian market.
Mr Beattie unveiled the plan at the Russia Australia Business Forum – a lead-in event to APEC, and the only one to be held outside of Sydney.
It has been co-hosted in Brisbane by the Queensland Government, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Academy of Business and newspaper Vedemosti.
Russian Minister for Agriculture and Co-Chairman of the Russian-Australian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, His Excellency Mr Alexei Gordeyev, is attending the forum and heading the largest senior delegation from Russia to visit Queensland to date.
Mr Beattie said the long-term value of developing trade partnerships and engaging with regional Russia cannot be underestimated.
“Since 2003, Russia has been recording growth rates of 6-8% – more than double the European Union,” said the Premier.
He commended Queensland showing the way for others to follow, including Mincom, which provides specialist software to the Russian mining industry, and Red Oxygen – a leading developer of enterprise SMS/text messaging software which recently signed an agreement with Russian company The Vimpel Group.
“Queensland primary industries are cracking into the Russian market with Australian Rural Exports (Austrex) Pty Ltd successfully delivering one of the first ever consignments of beef breeding cattle to the Russian Market,” Mr Beattie said.
In the knowledge sector, a Protocol of Cooperation with the Moscow City Government signed by the Premier last year has welcomed its first work placement in the Smart State, with Mr Nikolay Akimov, of Moscow’s City University’s Procurement Department, starting a 10-week program with Griffith University and other agencies on August 31.
Last year in Moscow Mr Beattie announced a Russian language scholarship, funded for three years by the Queensland Government and The University of Queensland.
Mr Alistair Tweed began his scholarship at UQ earlier this year, with the university reporting a 50% increase in the number of students studying Russian, up to 53 students since the scholarship was launched.
“Not only will greater engagement with Russia provide business and trade opportunities, but it will give students and workers a chance to gain experience overseas and become valuable members of the global economy,” said the Premier.
In a significant gesture, Minister Alexei Gordeyev presented Queensland with a sculpture by Sergei Bychkov – a two metre tall, bronze statue of Konstantin Tsiolkovski, founder of theoretical astronautics who is regarded the father of space flight.
“On behalf of the people of Queensland I am humbled to receive such a significant gift, recognising Queensland’s international reputation as the Smart State and our future role in the knowledge industries,” Mr Beattie said.
“I am pleased to announce it will have a permanent home at the Planetarium, Mt Coot-tha, for the enjoyment of all Queenslanders and reminder of our strong ties with Russia.”
Among senior officials joining Minister Gordeyev in Brisbane are:
• Mr Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs;
• His Excellency Mr Viktor Kress, Governor of the Tomsk Region;
• Ms Irina Gorbulina, President of the Russian Academy of Business;
• Mr Sergey Chernyshev, Director of the Department of International Economic Relations, Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade;
• Mr Yuri Trushin, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Agricultural Bank.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office 3224 4500