Moscow, March 31, 2008 - Today the workshop "Russia: Regional Development Strategies" co-sponsored by the Government of the Russian Federation and the World Bank will start its work in Moscow. It is a milestone in the Bank's strengthening dialogue and partnership with Russia's regions. Earlier in February, the Bank held an upstream World Development Report 2009 roundtable to discuss with leading Russian economists emerging findings on challenges facing regional development all over the world.

Mr. Dmitry Kozak, Minister for Regional Development of the Russian Federation, and Mr. Klaus Rohland, Country Director of the World Bank in Russia, will open the conference with the welcoming remarks. International speakers will also bring perspectives on regional development for comparator countries such as Brazil, China and OECD. Among the key-note speakers are high-level officials from the federal Ministries of Regional Development, Finance, and Economic Development and Trade, as well as heads and representatives of governments for about 15 Russia's regions, as well as representatives of Russia's think-tanks community.

The participants will discuss the regional development issues and outcomes, as well as share their experience in designing development strategies in their respective regions. In the context of the World Bank's efforts to disseminate knowledge on the key aspects of development, the participants will also discuss possible avenues for further enhancing cooperation with the World Bank Group.

A G E N D A

Welcome and opening remarks

Mr. Dmitry Kozak, Minister for Regional Development
Mr. Klaus Rohland, Russia Country Director, World Bank

PART I: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Plenary: Spatial Development and Spatial Inequities: A Global Perspective and Implications for Russia

Chair:
Mr. Luca Barbone, Sector Director, Poverty reduction and economic management, ECA region, World Bank
Mr. Vitaly Shipov, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Regional DevelopmentSpeakers:
Mr. Truman Packard, Sr. Economist, World Bank, Member of the Core 2009 WDR team
Mr. Zeljko Bogetic, Lead Economist for Russia, CSC, The World bank

Chair:
Mr. Mikhail Dmitriev, President, Center for Strategic Research

Speakers: Leading practitioners & experts from comparator countries:
1. Experience from OECD: Mr. Nikolai Malyshev, Principal Administrator, Regulatory Policy Division, OECD, Paris;
2. Experience with Regional Development in Brazil: Senator Tasso Jereissati;
3. Experience with Regional Development in China, India and Chile, Ms. Lili Liu, Lead Economist, PREMED, World Bank

Panel of leading Russian experts: What do international perspectives tell us about Russia?

Chair:
Mr. Pradeep Mitra, Chief Economist, ECA Region, World Bank

Speakers:
Mr. D. B. Aratsky, Deputy Minister, Ministry of regional development of RF
Ms. Tatyana Popova, Head of department, Minister for Regional Development
Mr. Mikhail Dmitriev, President, Center for Strategic Research
Ms. Galina Kurliandskaya, Head, Center for Fiscal Policy
Mr. Sergey Vasiliev, Member of Board of "Development Bank and Vneshekonombank", Deputy Chairman of Vneshekonombank,
Ms. Natalia Zubarevich, Director of regional program, Institute of Social Policy

PART II: ISSUES IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSIA

Investments, Growth and Entrepreneurship

Chair :
Mr. Goldberg Itzhak, Advisor, Policy and Strategy, ECSPF, the World Bank
Panelists from Russia's regions:
Mr. Valery Sidorenko, Head of economic Department Tver Administration,
Mr. Vasily Pushkin, Head, Department of Economics , Krasnodar Administration, Rostov
Ms. Lubov Zhadan, Head of the Economics Department, Ministry of economy, trade and international affairs of Rostov oblast

The Role of the State in Regional Development

Chair :
Mr. Zeljko Bogetic, Lead Economist for Russia, CSC, The World bank Panelists from Russia's regions:
Ms. Natalya Kondakova, Chairman of the Committee, Economy Department, Tomsk Administration
Mr. Sergey Kuchin, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Khanty-Mansyisk Okrug

Summing up and closing remarks

Mr. Vitaly Shipov, Deputy Minister, Minister for Regional Development
Mr. Klaus Rohland, Russia Country Director, World Bank
Mr. Luca Barbone, Sector Director, Poverty reduction and economic management, ECA region, World Bank