East – West Business Forum 2013: EMERGING AFRICA

more than 300 participants from 25 countries, 50 speakers

Prague, 25^th & 26^th September 2013: During these days, the fifth annual conference East-West Business forum traditionally organised by the ICC Czech Republic is held on the premises of the Czernin Palace in Prague. The conference, this time called “EMERGING AFRICA”, is under the auspices of Jiří Rusnok, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Jan Kohout, Minister of Foreign Affairs , Jiří Cienciala, Minister of Industry and Trade, Miroslav Toman, Minister of Agriculture, and Přemysl Sobotka, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The objective of this year’s East-West Business Forum is to provide new opportunities for further development of commercial, economic and financial cooperation between the Czech Republic and African countries with the participation of more than 400 business representatives, non-governmental organisations and governments of 25 countries of the world.

>> Press release

Programme:

DAY ONE:

08:30 - 10:30

PANEL I.A: EMERGING AFRICA

Opening Dignitaries

• Tomaš Dub, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
• Přemysl Sobotka, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
• Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
• Jaroslava Beneš Špalková, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic
• Milan Urban, Shadow Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
• Mirek Topolanek, Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
• Radek Špicar, Vice-President responsible for economic policy and competitiveness, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic
• Godknows Igali, Deputy Minister of Power in Nigeria
• H.E. Mrs. Christine Nkulikiyinka, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda

Trade and Investment Cooperation, Financing Trade between the Czech Republic and African Countries: Potential and Challenges

• Michal Mejstřík, Chairman of ICC Czech Republic, Member of National Economic Council of Czech Government
• Zdeněk Drábek, External Adviser for WTO
• Michal Nebeský, Managing Director Czech Republic & Slovakia, Citibank Europe plc
• Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Microsoft Ltd.

PANEL I.B: EMERGING AFRICA

International Development Cooperation  programme

• Michal Kaplan, Director of Czech Development agency

Supporting African Opportunities

• Milan Ráž, Director of Export Services, CzechTrade
• Jan Procházka, Chief Executive Officer, EGAP a.s.

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 - 13:00

PANEL II: GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AND BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN AFRICA

Overview of Economic Development on the African Continent, Capacity Building

• Henri-Bernard Solignac-Lecomte, Head of Unit - Europe, Middle East and Africa, OECD Development Centre 

Analytical Mapping of Competences and Opportunities for Development and role of the Czech Embassies

• Ivan Jukl, Chief Director of Economic Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Michal Minčev, Deputy Director in Department of Multilateral Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Czech Export Bank – Project Financing of Investment Opportunities, Cooperation with MFA

• Petr Križan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Czech Export Bank a.s.

Success Story

• Martin Štrupl, Chief Executive Officer, Hamé s.r.o.

13:00 - 14:00 Buffett lunch

14:00 - 15:00

PANEL III: DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA, KEY SECTORS FOR CZECH TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Sponsor of this Panel: VEBA, a. s.

Agribusiness, Water Treatment, Medical, Textile etc. Opportunities in African Countries

• Dunstan Mrutu, Past Vice Chairman of TPA, Tanzania Ports Authority
• Safae Sijilmassi Idrissi, Head of the Department of International Cooperation, Moroccan Investment Development Agency

Presentations by Czech and foreign Companies from Agribusiness/Water/Medical/Textile etc. Sector

• Josef Novák, Chief Executive Officer , VEBA  a.s. and Siaka Koné, Representative of VEBA, a.s. in Mali
• Jiří Plecitý, Regional Sales Manager - Middle East and Africa, LINET s.r.o.
• Marek Jechumtál, Regional Sales Manager, JUTA a.s.
• Jiří Belinger, Chief Executive Officer, VARI a.s.

15:00 - 16:00

PANEL IV: DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA, KEY SECTORS FOR CZECH TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Sponsor of this Panel: B.G.M. export, a. s.

Energy, Oil, Gas, Machinery and Engineering Projects and Opportunities in African Countries

• Bhavik Jayendrakumar Shah, Chief Executive Officer, Niveda Group Kenya - Kenya Vision 2030
• Tsadkan Gebre Tensae, Chairman of the Board, RAYA Brawery s.c, Ethiopia
• Yasmina Benmayouf,Director of Foreign Direct Investments, Algerian Agency for Investment Development (ANDI)

Presentations by Czech Companies/Institutions from Energy/Machinery Sector

• Milan Máša, Business Director, Czech Blades s.r.o.
• Štefan Paluba, Member of the Supervisory Board, Vítkovice a.s.
• Ladislav Adamec, Chairman of the Board B.G.M. export a.s
• Vilém Růžička, Chairman of the South African - Czech Chamber of Commerce

16:00 - 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 – 18:00

PANEL V: FINANCING TRADE IN AFRICAN REGION

Moderated by: Eva Anderová, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic (Section International Relations and Financial Policies)

Financing Trade and Projects in African Region

• Rudolf Putz, Deputy Director, Financial Institutions, Head Trade Facilitation Programme, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• Stefan Koeberle, Director, Operations Risk Management, The World Bank
• Jose Morte Molina, Division Manager - Credit Risk Management, African Development Bank
• Yusuf Khan, Africa Trade Head, Citibank Europe plc

Legal Terms for Financing Trade in Africa

• Tom Eldridge, Partner, Dentons

Closing Remarks

18:00 - 20:00 Reception

DAY TWO:

09:00 - 11:30

PANEL 1: CONDITIONS OF DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA, MATCHMAKING, MEETINGS, NETWORKING..

Rwanda

• H. E. Mrs. Christine Nkulikiyinka, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda
• Jacques Nshimyumukiza, Consultant

Tanzania

• Dunstan Mrutu, Past Vice-Chairman of TPA, Tanzania Ports Authority

Angola

• Dr. José Gama Sala, Senior Technician, National Agency for Private Investments

Ethiopia

• General Gebretsadkan Gebretensae, RAYA Brewery s.c.
• Winta Yohannes, RAYA Brewery s.c.
• Dewitt Gebre-Egziabher, RAYA Brewery s.c.
• Fikru Gebretsadik, Managing Director, Enquye Import Export
• Abenet Debebe Ayele, Business Development Executive, Enquye Import Export

Nigeria

• Mohammed Dahiru, Chairman, Nigeria-Czech Trade & Investment Council

Participants:

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