CERBA invites you to participate in a Roundtable to share best practices and lessons learned from the Global Economic Crisis. Participants will explore new strategies for promoting business linkages between Canada and Russia in the North. The Roundtable will contribute to the Arctic and North Working Group (ANWG) of the Canada-Russia Intergovernmental Economic Commission. It is supported by CERBA, Ontario Ministry of International Trade & Investment and Indian Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).

Who should attend?
While focus will be on Northern and Aboriginal businesses, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Agencies and government agencies supporting northern business, the Roundtable is open to other businesses across Canada and Russia interested in Joint Ventures with northern companies.

Proposed Agenda

Moderator: Vitaly Paroshyn, Area Director for Eastern and Southeast Europe, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade

Opening Remarks & Canada-Russia Trade Relationship

9:00 - 9:05 Chair

9:05 - 9:15 Gilles Couturier, Trade Commissioner -Russia, Belarus
Europe & Central Asia Commercial Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)

9:15 - 9:25 Konstantin Trofimov, Senior Trade Commissioner, Trade Mission of the Russian Federation

9:25 - 9:40 Harald Finkler, Director, Circumpolar Liaison Directorate, Northern Affairs Organization, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DFAIT)

PANEL 1: Capacity Building & Strategies for Sustainable Trade

9:40 - 9:45 Panel Introduction

9:45 - 10:00 Cameron Bodnar, Manager, Trade Logistics, Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

10:00 - 10:15 Vyacheslav Seliverstov, Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering, Novosibirsk

10:15 - 10:30 Indira Singh, Director, Executive Projects Office, MMDMF: Pilot Cluster Development in the Northern Regions Under the Canada-Russia Northern Development Partnership Program: Lessons Learned and Outcomes.

10:30 - 10:40 Nikolay Matyash , Executive Director, Mining Advisory Council

10:40 - 11:00 Coffee Break

PANEL 2: Trade and Investment Opportunities in Northern Regions

11:00 - 11:15 Nunavut: Hal Timer, Executive Director, Baffin Chamber of Commerce (TBC)

11:15 - 11:30 Northwest Territories (TBC)

11:30 - 11:45 Yukon (TBC)

11:45 - 12:00 Sergey Bogachev, Chief, Department of subsurface management and development of oil and gas complex, Tomsk Region, Russian Federation

12:00 - 12:15 Antoine Monnier, Manager, Soleica, IT Solutions & First Nations, Canadian SME Case Study

12:15 - 12:30 Aleksandr Gert, Deputy Director, Economics and Information Technologies, Federal State Unitary Enterprise - Siberian Research Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineral Resources.

12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch Break

PANEL 3: Support Mechanisms and Programs

Moderator: Tara Scheurwater, Senior Trade Commissioner for NWT & Nunavut and Regional, DFAIT

1:30 - 1:35 Introduction to Panel 3

1:35 - 1:50 Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) (TBC)

1:50 - 2:05 Brock Dumville, Industry Advisor, Aboriginal Economic Development, DIAND

2:05 - 2:15 Robert Kadas, Senior Policy Advisor - Arctic and North Working Group (ANWG)

2:15 - 2:15 John Place, Chair, Toronto Chapter, CERBA

2:15:2:30 Q&A

2:30- 2:45: Coffee Break

2:45 - 3:45: Open Discussion on Strategy to Enhance Northern Trade

3:45 - 4:00 Conclusion

For further details and registration please contact Natalia Gorelik, CERBA Regional Director for Toronto at natalia@cerbanet.org or 416 360 2299 or visit www.cerbanet.org