Category: Russian Economy

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

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The state continues to support the tourism industry, paying special attention to the development of organized tourism to countries with favorable conditions for Russian travelers. The Federation Council approved changes to the legislation that will reduce the financial burden on tour operators working with neighboring friendly states. The list of such countries that meet safety requirements and are popular with Russian tourists will soon be approved by the Russian Government.

According to the new regulations, tour operators that specialize exclusively in trips to neighboring friendly states will be able to form financial security for liability in the amount of 500 thousand rubles – just like companies working in the field of domestic tourism. The new regulations also stipulate that tour operators will be able to ignore the total cost of tours to these countries when calculating contributions to mandatory funds for tour operators in the field of outbound tourism. This approach will preserve the mandatory nature of these funds aimed at reimbursing tourists and returning Russian tourists from abroad, and will also significantly reduce the costs of tour operators, which will ultimately have a positive effect on the price of tours.

"Simplifying financial requirements will allow tour operators to more actively develop new routes, offer more vacation options at affordable prices, and most importantly, provide additional protection for tourists. Travel will become more accessible, while the level of protection of travelers' rights will remain high. It is important to remember that organized tours are safer than independent trips, as they include insurance, emergency support, and a guaranteed return home if necessary," said Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov.

For tourists, these changes mean several important advantages. The cost of tours to friendly countries may decrease, as tour operators will be able to optimize their expenses. In addition, reducing the financial burden will help legalize part of the tourism business, which currently operates in the gray zone.

An increase in the number of companies offering organized vacations will provide greater protection for tourists compared to independent travel: in the event of flight cancellations or other force majeure circumstances, the tour operator is obliged to provide alternative services or organize a return to the home country. Each tourist will be insured by the financial security of the tour operator's liability and funds of such tour operators, and information about their trip will be recorded in the state system, which will allow prompt assistance if necessary. The transfer of independent travelers to the organized tourist flow will allow better control over the movement of citizens and promptly respond to any crisis situations abroad.

"This is an important and timely measure. It promotes travel to friendly countries, opens up opportunities for the formation of interesting, competitive price offers. For tour operators working in other outbound destinations, this is an opportunity to minimize the total cost of the tourism product, from which the amount of contributions to the FPO is calculated, and therefore reduce the burden on business," said Deputy General Director for Government Relations and Communications of the tour operator FUN

The federal law will come into force on September 1, 2025 – this is another step towards strengthening tourism cooperation with friendly countries and developing mutually beneficial economic ties.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

For the All-Russian competition "Best MFC of Russia" in 2024, the subjects of the Russian Federation submitted 186 applications – a record number in the entire history of the competition. Their number increased by 17% compared to the previous year. This became possible due to the expansion of categories within the nomination "Best MFC Specialist".

Traditionally, the competition is held in three nominations: “Best MFC Project”, “Best Regional MFC Network” and “Best MFC Specialist”.

In the nomination "Best MFC Project" 42 applications were submitted: the best projects on work with both internal and external clients are presented. In the nomination "Best Regional MFC Network" MFCs of 41 subjects are presented. As always, the most popular nomination was "Best MFC Specialist": 103 applications were submitted. Universal specialists of the centers, mentors and specialists of the user support sectors will compete for this title.

At the next stage, the contestants will have a public defense of their projects (nomination “Best MFC Project”), professional and psychological testing, an interview with members of the central competition committee (nomination “Best MFC Specialist”) and an assessment of their questionnaire data (nomination “Best Regional MFC Network”).

"Today, there are more than 11.5 thousand My Documents offices operating in Russia, 96% of the population is covered by the network. In 2024, more than 165 million requests were recorded – an annual increase in the number of requests to State Service Centers by 10% confirms the importance of the MFC as the main channel of communication between citizens and the state. Therefore, it is doubly gratifying to note that the interest of colleagues in the competition is increasing every year, they are ready to present and defend their best practices," commented Kirill Albychev, Director of the Department for Ensuring the Quality of Public Services to the Population and the Performance of State Functions of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

The results of the competition will be announced in the fall at the All-Russian MFC Forum.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On July 16, 2025, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Sergei Nazarov visited the Chechen Republic on a working visit.

The program of the visit included a working meeting with the Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic Magomed Daudov. The issues of development of the special economic zone of industrial and production type "Grozny", the course of implementation of the federal and republican investment programs, as well as the development of the all-season tourism and recreation project "Veduchi" were discussed. Special attention was paid to the provision of energy infrastructure for the current residents of the SEZ "Grozny", as well as strengthening control over the implementation of the objects of the VTRK "Veduchi".

"We see the interest of investors, the activity of residents and the significant economic potential of the region. The task is to ensure the full readiness of the infrastructure and precise synchronization of actions at all levels," noted Sergey Nazarov.

During the visit, the Deputy Minister also got acquainted with the implementation of the Veduchi VTRK. The participants inspected the engineering and ski infrastructure facilities, including cable cars, trails, pumping stations and an artificial snowmaking system. The site was also attended by the General Director of Kavkaz. RF Andrey Yumshanov, representatives of the Government of the Chechen Republic, employees of contracting organizations and the General Director of the management company OOO CHUS Sulimbek Tsentroyev, who reported on the current stage of work.

Active construction of all planned facilities is underway. In particular, the construction readiness of the VL1 cable car, the largest facility in the complex, has reached 66%. Its commissioning is expected in 2026. And this year, work is planned to be completed on a number of key facilities, including cable cars, ski slopes and an artificial snowmaking system.

"Veduchi is one of the most promising tourism projects in the North Caucasus. It has already received serious support and will continue to develop within the framework of the SEZ mechanism. There is a team here that knows what it is doing. It is important for us to maintain the pace and ensure the smooth implementation of all stages," the deputy minister emphasized.

Following the visit, proposals were made to federal and regional authorities for further support of the Grozny SEZ and Veduchi VTRK facilities. They will cover priorities in upgrading infrastructure, updating design documentation and financing mechanisms in order to ensure sustainable implementation of strategically important projects.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Russia remains one of the key trade and economic partners of the CIS member states. According to the results of January-April 2025, it ranks first in the foreign trade turnover of Belarus and Armenia, second in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and third in Azerbaijan.

This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Vladimir Ilyichev, commenting on the results of the 106th meeting of the CIS Economic Council, which took place in Moscow. The Russian delegation at the event was headed by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexey Overchuk.

The meeting participants discussed a wide range of issues, including cooperation in energy security, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the development of forestry, the construction industry, as well as measures to combat dangerous animal and bird diseases. Particular attention was paid to the macroeconomic indicators of the CIS countries for 2024.

According to preliminary estimates, the combined GDP of the Commonwealth states grew by 4.5% in 2024. The unemployment rate fell by 14% and amounted to more than 3% of the workforce. "All these economic indicators indicate that the Commonwealth of Independent States is a strong and sustainable integration entity," Vladimir Ilyichev emphasized.

According to the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, in January-May 2025, the growth of Russia's GDP and agricultural production amounted to 1.5% each, industrial production – 1.3%. At the same time, the economies of the CIS partners are also demonstrating positive dynamics.

The meeting participants approved a number of documents aimed at further developing cooperation, including the Declaration on Regional Energy Security, the Action Plan for the Use of Nuclear Energy until 2030, and the Concept of Pricing in Construction. These initiatives will be considered in September at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government.

The successful implementation of the program for the reclamation of uranium sites in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan was also noted. In addition, the Russian Research Institute of the Bakery Industry received the status of a basic organization of the CIS for training personnel for this industry.

The parties reviewed information on the progress of the Action Plan for the implementation of the first stage of the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030.

The next meeting of the CIS Economic Council is scheduled to be held in September 2025 in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, which holds the CIS presidency this year.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The fifth meeting of the Russian-Thai Subcommission on Trade and Economic Cooperation (PTEC) after a five-year break was held on July 15-16 in Bangkok. The Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Economic Development Vladimir Ilyichev, and the Thai delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Trade of the Kingdom of Thailand Chanthavit Thanthasit. The subcommission was attended by 60 representatives of Russian and Thai authorities, industry associations and companies.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of bilateral trade and economic relations and proposed new areas for implementing joint projects.

"We are seeing positive dynamics in bilateral trade. In particular, according to the results of the first five months of 2025, the trade turnover between Russia and Thailand has grown by almost 10%, and the export of Russian products to Thailand has grown by 50%. At the same time, we see potential for the export of low-carbon energy resources, agricultural and pharmaceutical products, and oil and gas equipment to Thailand. In addition, we note the mutual interest of companies in developing investment cooperation," Vladimir Ilyichev noted in his speech.

The Thai side confirmed its interest in developing partnership with Russia.

"Thailand seeks to develop trade and economic relations with its key partners, and Russia is such a partner for us. We consider trade in agricultural products, green energy, IT and infrastructure development to be priority areas of cooperation with Russia," Chanthavit Thanthasit emphasized.

Russian companies and agencies drew the attention of the Thai side to the prospects for joint work in the areas of logistics, medicine, and IT technologies. Deputy Commercial Director for Business Development in Asian Countries of FESCO Integrated Transport LLC Alexander Priskoka suggested that Thai businesses use the company's regular services for cargo delivery from the port of Bangkok to the ports of Vladivostok (delivery time was reduced to 20 days), as well as to the ports of Novorossiysk and St. Petersburg (delivery time was reduced to 40 days). In addition, the Chairman of the Russian-Thai Business Council Ivan Demchenko announced the imminent launch of a direct line from the port of Novorossiysk to the port of Bangkok.

Vice President for International Cooperation of AFK Sistema Artem Zasursky revealed the prospects for joint work in the areas of river transport, electronics and forestry industry, IT projects. He placed emphasis on the development of cooperation in the tourism sector.

"The companies in our portfolio, namely travel booking services, are ready to develop cooperation with interested partners in the hospitality industry. We also inform you about the interest of the Russian operator in developing resort projects in the regions of Thailand that are popular with Russian tourists," said Artem Zasursky.

Vice President of the Federation of Thai Industries Thansathit Asi and Vice Chairman of the Thai-Russian Business Council Hemmontharop Wiwat confirmed the Thai side's interest in business cooperation. Thai businessmen noted the prospects for developing cooperation with Russia in the field of medicine, as well as in the field of cybersecurity and decarbonization of production.

During the meeting of the PTES, special attention was paid to cooperation in the creative economy.

"In February, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Agency for Creative Industries of Thailand. We are developing a roadmap for cooperation in the creative industries. We also invite specialized Thai associations to join the joint work and take part in the first International Conference on Creative Economy, which will be held on October 8-9 in St. Petersburg," said Ekaterina Cherkes-Zade, Director of the Center for Creative Economy Development at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, in her speech.

To develop business contacts between Russian and Thai businesses, Ivan Demchenko invited the PTEC participants to take part in the Russian-Thai Business Forum, which the Russian-Thai Business Council is holding on November 26–28 in Phuket.

"I hope that we will see concrete results of our joint work in the near future. We count on the support of the Thai side in expanding the bilateral economic dialogue between our countries," Vladimir Ilyichev summed up following the meeting.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.