Sergei Katyrin informed the President about the work of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including in the spheres of legislation, commercial courts of arbitration, international cooperation, certification, support for family businesses and anti-corruption measures.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Katyrin, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry system brings together 130 regional chambers across Russia, correct?
President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin: Yes, that is correct.
Vladimir Putin: That represents around 57,000 organisations?
Sergei Katyrin: Absolutely.
Vladimir Putin: That is a very large organisation.
Sergei Katyrin: Mr President, you previously expressed the wish at our congress that we continue developing the chamber system and ensure that we are as close as possible to entrepreneurs. Taking this guidance into account, as well as the provisions of the law on chambers of commerce and industry – which also assigns us the function of providing services – we have worked to implement these objectives.
We have established branches in a number of municipalities across Russia’s regions, and today we operate in 350 locations throughout the country.
The system currently includes federal and regional unions and associations: around 270 at the federal level and approximately 800 at the regional level. This is a substantial expert community that enables us to involve businesses as experts in regulatory impact assessments when drafting regulations, bills, etc.
Today, the entire system is working to support the special military operation. All our colleagues are involved in providing assistance to people from their regions who are participating on the ground. They help organise convoys sent from Russia’s regions and work directly with local communities to address requests for specific equipment, uniforms and other supplies.
Another important area is support for children. The Yevgeny Primakov Foundation for Assistance to Children was established by Yevgeny Primakov himself. We gave it his name after his passing. The foundation focuses entirely on helping children, children’s institutions and orphanages. The main figures are shown on the slide. Over the past year – and perhaps for a longer period – our efforts have been focused primarily on providing assistance to the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
Of course, it is not only the foundation that provides this support. Funds were collected from companies, individual entrepreneurs, and even employees of chambers of commerce and industry – colleagues who contributed personally so that we could organise this assistance. The support covered a wide range of needs, from furniture and equipment for children’s homes to assistance for individual children requiring complex surgeries and other medical care.
We will continue this work.
Regarding our legislative work, as I mentioned earlier, we bring together not only businesses but also industry unions and professional associations. This enables us to provide expert opinions based on the practical experience of companies operating across virtually every sector of the economy. We review around 1,200 draft laws and regulations per year, assessing whether they create a favourable business environment, support business activity, or contain provisions that could have adverse effects.
We also support the development of approximately 100 bills annually as they move through the State Duma, participating at every stage, from the initial concept to final adoption. Each year, we submit around 30 packages of amendments and independently develop 15 to 20 bills, which we then work on with members of parliament to secure their passage. Naturally, our primary objective is to advance the interests of the business community.
There is also another matter: the instruction you gave us, and I would like to report on its implementation. You may recall that, at the meeting of the State Council, we discussed international arbitration and the way courts in London and Stockholm have been handling cases involving Russian businesses – or rather, the way they have been ruling against them.
Vladimir Putin: They issue unlawful decisions.
Sergei Katyrin: Yes, they are politically motivated.
Today, we have 27 regional branches operating across the Russian Federation. Our International Commercial Arbitration Court was established in 1932, while the Maritime Arbitration Commission dates back even further, having been founded in 1930. We continue to develop both institutions. We have already opened branches in St Petersburg, Vladivostok, and Novorossiysk.
As the Northern Sea Route continues to develop, we expect that, when the need arises, we will also establish a branch in Murmansk specifically to serve disputes related to shipping along the Northern Sea Route.
The Maritime Arbitration Commission handles a relatively modest caseload. It has about 40 arbitrators, including representatives from seven foreign countries, I believe.
The International Commercial Arbitration Court has more than 200 arbitrators, of whom roughly 60 are foreign nationals. We maintain active cooperation with countries such as China and India, exchanging lists of arbitrators and expanding our international partnerships.
I would also like to draw your attention to the number of cases we work with. Last year, we handled a total of 923 arbitration cases, including 337 international arbitration cases. I would like to emphasise something that is a particular source of pride for our arbitrators: 10 percent of those international cases involved disputes between foreign parties that chose our arbitration court to resolve their disagreements, rather than cases originating in Russia.
In terms of caseload, we are now the largest national arbitration institution in Europe. At the supranational level, only the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) handles more cases, but it operates on a global scale. Naturally, its caseload is larger.
As for the arbitration institutions in Stockholm and London, we now handle twice as many cases. Even combined, their caseload is almost half of ours.
I cannot comment on the value of the disputes – perhaps oligarchs from around the world still try to take their largest cases there. However, what is encouraging is that more than 350 cases have already been heard by the regional branches we have established across the regions of the Russian Federation. We are making steady progress in this area.
I would also like to mention our international cooperation. We have established business councils with 76 countries. With the exception of European countries, all of these councils remain active. In particular, our cooperation with countries of the Global South has intensified. Our representative offices also continue to operate successfully. We maintain a presence in more than 40 countries through both permanent and honorary representatives. Our honorary representatives work on essentially the same basis as full-time representatives: they maintain their own offices and cover their own operating expenses. We simply authorise them to represent the interests of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We, therefore, support their activities and seek to make the fullest possible use of this network.
We are actively engaged in all major business councils and associations, including those of the EAEU, CIS, SCO, BRICS, and the Asia-Pacific region. We also organise a wide range of business forums and, as a rule, chair the business councils within these integration frameworks.
Another important area of our work involves functions delegated to us by the Government, such as the issuance of certificates of origin. Across our entire system, we issue around half a million certificates each year. We carry out work under Government Resolution No. 719, verifying that products qualify as Russian-made before they are entered into the State Information System of Industrial Products. This is one of the key indicators of our activity.
At present, we issue eight different types of certificates, reflecting Russia’s various free trade agreements, each of which requires its own certificate. We also train our experts, who undergo retraining and recertification every three years.
Perhaps the most demanding aspect of our work is implementing Resolution No. 719, because every company wants to qualify for government procurement, making competition intense. We continue to perform this work, and so far, we have received no major complaints. In 2025, we have already issued around 10,000 – even more than 10,000 – certificates under Resolution No. 719, confirming Russian origin. Demand continues to grow because, in addition to Federal Law No. 44, procurements conducted by state-owned companies under Federal Law No. 223 also require suppliers to demonstrate that certain products are of Russian origin.
Another project we have been developing for several years is the promotion of family entrepreneurship in Russia. I reported to you when we first launched the project, and it has since grown significantly. Today, 24 regions of the Russian Federation have adopted legislation supporting family businesses. We have not yet reached agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development on the adoption of a respective federal law, but I believe we will eventually succeed.
Vladimir Putin (looking at the presentation): More than 800 children from family-owned businesses have completed training in the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
Sergei Katyrin: As part of the family business initiative, we run a programme called Business Hope. We work closely with children throughout the year: they complete a range of assignments developed by our experts, and we have a dedicated department that oversees the programme. The children genuinely enjoy taking part, and, importantly, their parents are eager to involve them. It is not just the children’s enthusiasm –parental support is essential, too. Without it, this kind of work would be much more difficult.
At our production facilities, we often look for mentors, including for those returning from the special military operation. Having someone nearby to provide guidance, not only in business but also in life, is extremely important. But in the case of family businesses, that mentor is already there, within the family, the parent who guides you through life, who offers support and passes on experience.
As for our exhibition, trade fair, and congress activities, the main performance indicators are reflected in the presentation. Nearly our entire system is involved in organising these events.
Vladimir Putin: I see.
How does the Chamber contribute to combating corruption?
Sergei Katyrin: There is a nationwide survey called the Business Barometer of Corruption that we conduct every year. In fact, it is one of the initiatives we carry out pursuant to your instruction. Around 40,000 respondents take part in this survey annually. We then distribute the findings to all relevant authorities, to the State Duma deputies, senators of the Federation Council, government ministers, and to your Executive Office. In my view, this is a very serious and highly important survey because it provides a clear picture of the sectors and areas where businesses see the greatest risks and opportunities for corruption.
The top areas of concern change over time. Years ago, it was tax inspections, but that is no longer the case. In fact, respondents now never mention the Federal Tax Service in this respect. The way it operates today is impeccable, so there is no complains. At one point, solid municipal waste management was another major concern, but that issue was also addressed relatively quickly. The survey gives public authorities an opportunity to see the situation through the eyes of the business community: to identify where corrupt practices are most prevalent and where businesses face the greatest difficulties.
We have been conducting this project for many years, and we intend to continue doing so.
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