Meeting with Director General of the Russian Export Centre Veronika Nikishina

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Nikishina, we are aware of all the subjective and objective difficulties facing our exporters. Nevertheless, the volume of non-resource non-energy exports increased by 9 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, thanks to support from the Export Centre, the entire group of the Export Centre. Overall, it reached 1.7 trillion rubles.

Director General of the Russian Export Centre Veronika Nikishina: Yes, 1.7 trillion rubles.

Vladimir Putin: This is a considerable amount.

Overall, how do you assess the work?

Veronika Nikishina: Mr President, it has been said recently at some platforms that we do not need export because it allegedly moves the commodities we need at home to foreign markets, excessively strengthening the ruble. We think this view is fundamentally wrong.

First, no country can be successful on the international stage without maintaining a strong position in the sphere of non-resource export. We can see that a tough competition is unfolding for economic influence and leadership, and non-resource export is an instrument of international cooperation and a means of creating stable partnerships and alliances.

Second, export – both resource and non-resource – amid slowing economic growth is also a means of stabilising the situation and resuming economic growth, because this implies additional markets that bring revenues and tax deductions, prevent lay-offs and help preserve jobs and even create new ones.

Incidentally, our geopolitical opponents, who have been imposing sanctions against Russian exports since 2022, trying to push us from foreign markets as much as possible and hence weaken us economically, are also aware of that.

But we have fundamentally achieved our key goal, which is to quickly shift our focus towards the friendly markets. We have maintained our export volumes and reached a stage of sustainable growth, as you have absolutely correctly noted. Last year, our non-resource exports increased by 11 percent, mechanical engineering exports by 28 percent, and the share of friendly countries in our structure has reached 86 percent.

Our current priority is to attain national development goals which you have set for the Government, that is, to increase exports by two-thirds by 2030 compared to 2023.

Vladimir Putin (Looking at the presentation.): I see that the development of stable partnerships with friendly countries is proceeding apace.

Veronika Nikishina: Yes, we believe we have completed the process of switching to foreign markets. We have restored the pre-sanction export volumes and have started to increase exports by forming stable partnerships and alliances with friendly countries, because our non-resource export constitutes the basis of our partnerships, including technological ones. We are also a reliable supplier of food and commodities that form value chains. We sincerely believe that the trend outlined at the third stage is not only realistic but that we are also perfectly on schedule.

How do we at the Russian Export Centre address the challenge you have set for the Government?

First, we provide targeted financial and non-financial support to specific exporters. We have around 150 support instruments at our disposal, ranging from helping companies find buyers to providing loans and insuring exporter non-payment risks. As you have already noted, last year the exports supported through our instruments reached 1.7 trillion rubles, representing a nine percent increase over the previous year. These exports reached 160 countries, up from 137 the year before. Tax revenues to the budget generated by these exports, together with contributions from the Russian Export Centre group, totalled 750 billion rubles last year. In addition to supporting existing exporters, another systemic task that we see for ourselves is identifying companies with export potential, helping them become exporters, and thereby expanding what we call new exports.

The second area of our work is promoting Russian products on foreign markets. More than half of exporters attribute their success abroad to strong demand for their products. This is precisely the objective of our “Made in Russia” programme: a comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at building a strong demand for Russian-made goods.

First, we establish a permanent presence for Russian products on foreign markets by promoting them through wholesale distribution channels, concluding export agreements with distributors, and developing a network of “Made in Russia” retail stores offering Russian products. This retail network is most extensively developed in China.

Second, we promote Russian products through e-commerce channels, including with the support of local bloggers. We have launched 50 online stores of Russian products under the “Made in Russia” umbrella brand on 21 major international e-commerce platforms.

Vladimir Putin: Is this primarily through our own e-commerce platforms?

Veronika Nikishina: We do use our own online platforms as well, but in many markets consumers primarily shop through their established local e-commerce marketplaces. In order to promote Russian products effectively, we therefore place them on the virtual shelves of those international platforms. This allows local consumers to purchase Russian goods in online stores they are already used to and gradually develop the habit of choosing Russian products.

International trade fairs and business missions are also highly effective tools for generating demand for our products and building long-term commercial partnerships. We organise national stands and pavilions for Russian exporters at major international exhibitions and arrange business meetings for them.

Last year, we organised 32 major exhibition events in 18 countries for around 1,000 Russian exporters. This year, we are maintaining the same pace, having already held 12 such events. These initiatives speed up the establishment of business ties and the conclusion of export contracts for our companies.

Another relatively new instrument under the programme, which we came up with just a few years ago, is the “Made in Russia” festivals and fairs held on foreign markets. In addition to their economic benefit and their role in facilitating export contracts, these events help foster a positive perception of Russian products among international consumers while also promoting a favourable image of Russia through its culture, sports, and tourism.

The third area of our work includes stepping up cooperation with the regions and ensuring systematic complementarity of regional and federal support measures, so that we can achieve our national goals as a team.

The State Council has a key role to play in this regard. The State Council Presidium meeting, which was for the first time devoted to non-resource exports, gave a very strong boost to this work. Last year, 84 regions aligned their regional export strategies with federal strategic planning documents, such as the Foreign Economic Activity Strategy.

We are working with the regions on the basis of a standardised set of tools, known as the Regional Export Standard, which we updated last year based on the best practices of leading regions such as Moscow, St Petersburg, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, the Amur Region, the Khabarovsk Territory, and the Moscow Region. Many regions are pro-actively becoming mentors for their counterparts in other regions.

We consider that preserving in the regions infrastructure to support exports by small and medium-sized enterprises is one of last year’s significant results following the State Council meeting. It had been at risk of being shut down, but export support centres are now operating in 85 regions, 67 of which receive federal co-financing.

Vladimir Putin: The regional authorities should also have an interest in this, shouldn’t they?

Veronika Nikishina: Yes, but there was a period of uncertainty regarding this matter. I should say, however, that the situation has now reached a completely stable understanding that this infrastructure is a very important addition…

Vladimir Putin: What does this infrastructure include?

Veronika Nikishina: It includes regional export support centres that have their own set of various tools needed by small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, they help companies develop websites, which is extremely important, particularly websites in foreign languages, without which, for instance, a foreign buyer would not even be able to understand…

Vladimir Putin: They would not understand what is being offered.

Veronika Nikishina: That’s right. They help organise various business missions and provide subsidies. Many regions have their own regional programmes to support exporters. The regions exchange these best practices with each other, for example through regional export cashback programmes and so on. As a result, this synergy of cooperation between the regions is producing an excellent effect. Last year, the number of regions making the greatest contribution to non-resource exports increased by four

I would like to emphasise that many governors personally and consistently work to promote the export potential of their regions. I would like to sincerely thank the governors and the teams in all the regions. We have developed a very creative and highly informal form of cooperation, because everyone truly understands how important it is for the regional economy, for businesses, and ultimately for the national economy to support non-resource exports. The strong impetus provided by the State Council for this kind of teamwork has indeed produced excellent results.

In particular, we use digitalisation to ensure that exporters have access to federal and regional support measures. Last year, 16 regions – 14 as part of the planned programme and two, namely the Omsk and Smolensk regions, on their own initiative – digitised their regional support measures and integrated them into the One-Stop-Shop digital platform which cut at least in half the time the exporters require to get support measures.

Human resources for foreign economic activity. This issue was also raised at the State Council meeting. Following your instructions, a consortium was established last year to create an environment to train specialists in foreign trade according to unified standards. Thirty-four universities from 20 regions launched the programmes last year.

The fourth area of our work includes creating and maintaining exporters’ motivation to engage in exports. “Made in Russia” begins in Russia. This is our own proactive mission. We use clear and simple language to tell the people in our country about our hero exporters. We believe it is truly important for the public to understand the impact the exports have on their city, their district, and the country as a whole and to take pride in this and to remain aware of the range of products we have to offer.

For example, we have teamed up with the federal TV channel Rossiya 24 and for three years now have been producing a series of films featuring 300 hero exporters representing major, medium-sized, and small businesses. We highlight their achievements and performance results.

This year, we launched a project with Channel One called “Our Everything. Made in Russia.” We have the Exporter of the Year award, and we have agreed with Channel One that this year’s federal stage finals will be broadcast on Channel One.

Mr President, it is truly important for exporters to understand, especially in the current environment, that their extremely challenging export activities are needed not only by their employees, that they also remain within the scope of the state’s priorities whereas we, as the Russian Export Centre Group of Companies, will continue to support our exporters and help them reach new heights, which will contribute to the economic prosperity of our country.

Vladimir Putin: That is how it will be. This is one of our priorities.

Is the online store chain growing in our country?

Veronika Nikishina: Yes, we currently have 50 stores on foreign marketplaces, and we are also widely cooperating with Russian e-commerce platforms. We have a project with Wildberries to promote an online product shelf featuring Made in Russia goods for export markets.

This year, we conducted a pilot project with Uzbekistan, where in addition to foods, the project included cosmetics (although mainly goods intended for retail sale). We are promoting and expanding our exports in conjunction with our marketplaces. We have big plans to promote products in the markets of other countries together with Wildberries and Ozon. Thus, we are promoting both Russian products and Russian e-commerce platforms. Indeed, we are fully experiencing the benefits of digital platforms and all the effects they create for exporters.

Vladimir Putin: Very good. Thank you.

Veronika Nikishina: Thank you.

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