Karelia - an opportunity for Czech companies

22nd - 25th April: The autonomous Republic of Karelia in the Russian Federation hosted the delegation composed of CSOK and the Energy Technology Cluster - East, which was headed by the CSOK President, Mr.jiří Nestával. Business meetings prepared by the Corporation for Development of Karelia and under the auspices of the Karelian government took place in Karelia´s capital, Petrozavodsk. The CSOK delegation was composed of energetics, water-management, and infrastructure companies, which are interested in projects mainly in the field of municipal services and energy. There are numerous opportunities of such kind in Karelia. The autonomous Republic of Karelia has the size of 1.5 of France and currently is focused on the construction and expansion of infrastructure. This, in the times of crisis, is a major opportunity for Czech industry.

During the program, several specific meetings were carried out at the level of Ministers and Deputy-Ministers of the Karelian government, Directors and Heads of state agancies, Mayors of cities and Presidents of state / private municipal and infrastructural companies and organisations. For example, the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Culture and Sports (reponsible for the construction of sport/tourism related objects and cultural/educational objects), State Agency for Municipal Management and Energy and of course the meeting with the leaders of the Karelian Government. A financial specialist from REP, which accompanied the Czech delegation, discussed with his Russian colleagues and the representatived of the Karelian Government the options of financing and guarantees. During the meeting with the government of the Republic of Karelia, legal cooperation was agreed focused on reconstruction and construction of Karelian infrastructure by Czech companies. Coordinators of this venture will be The Corporation for the Economic Development of Karelia on the Russian side, and CSOK Chamber of Commerce on the Czech side.

A delegation from Karelia will arrive in Prague in the second half of May under the invitation of CSOK. During this visit, specific energy & water management & infrastructure projects, in which Czech companies want to take place, will be further discussed. At the beggining of June, the delegation from Karelia will head back home from Prague to prepare various technical documents aimed at starting the realisation of the various preojects.