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INGReporter
Dutch Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade:
“Helping to address Russia’s major challenges”
2011 will be the year of truth
Netherlands-Russia Business Meet:
A partnership for modernization
NL

Colophon
ING Reporter is a publication by ING Trade Affairs
Issue February 2011
Editing:
JansenJager, communicatietrajecten, De Meern, www.jansenjager.nl
Design & Production:
JansenJager, communicatietrajecten, De Meern, www.jansenjager.nl
Final editing:
Loes Klappe-Linsen, General Manager Trade Affairs, ING Bank, PO Box 1800
1000 BV Amsterdam, the Netherlands, e-mail: loes.klappe-linsen@ing.nl
Contents
“Helping to ADDReSS RuSSiA'S mAjoR cHAllengeS”
Interview with Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade, Henk Bleker 4
2011 will be tHe yeAR of tRutH 6
elbRuS: bRinging pRivAte equity to RuSSiA 8
ing RuSSiA: HeRe foR lARge coRpoRAtionS 9
mecHel’S Steel SyneRgy 10
wim boSmAn gRoup: eXpReSSwAy to RuSSiA 11
netHeRlAnDS-RuSSiA buSineSS meet: A pARtneRSHip foR moDeRniZAtion 12
2

Dear reader,
i am pleased to present you with this new ing Reporter, which focuses on the economic
and commercial relations between the netherlands and the Russian federation.
in recent years we have published ing Reporter magazines on the netherlands’
bilateral relations with india, turkey and poland. And now, on the occasion of the
first ‘netherlands-Russia business meet’ on 9 february 2011 in Amsterdam, we have
decided to publish a special edition on Russia and the netherlands.
Russia and the netherlands have a rich common cultural heritage as well as warm and
rapidly growing economic ties. Het concertgebouw in Amsterdam stages a Russia
music festival in february this year. to coincide with this, ing has taken the initiative
to organize an economic programme called the ‘netherlands-Russia business meet
2011’. the business meet enables entrepreneurs and officials from both countries
to meet and discuss business opportunities and possibilities for new partnerships.
the netherlands has a highly industrialized economy with a per capita income higher
than many other european countries. it has a stable, open economy and a rich
tradition in global trading and investment. the Dutch are renowned leaders in the
areas of water management, port development, inland water transport, food and
flowers and bio energy. with the port of Rotterdam, through which about 40% of eu
trade flows, and Schiphol, europe’s fourth largest airport, our country plays a major
role in the european as well as global trade patterns. the netherlands has a lot to offer
Russian companies that are looking for new markets and investment opportunities.
ing started its banking activities in Russia back in 1994 and has become one of the
most experienced foreign banks to operate in the Russian market. we have entered
a long term partnership with Russia and are committed to making a growing
number of entrepreneurs as enthusiastic about the Russian-Dutch business potential
as we are. our 420 staff members in Russia as well as the ing colleagues in the
netherlands are dedicated to support companies in Dutch-Russian activities.
i hope you enjoy reading this edition of ing Reporter. it will inform you of the latest
developments in Russian-Dutch business and economic relations and will advise
how ing can help you and your business take advantage of them. if you have any
questions, please contact ing.
you can count on us as your partner in international business!
Eli Leenaars
Member Management Board Banking and
CEO Retail Banking Direct & International
3

Dutch Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade, Henk Bleker
“Helping to address
Russia's major challe
With a new Dutch government installed in October 2010, the real challenges of the economic crisis can now be tackled. Decision
makers face the daunting task of leading the Netherlands through a series of severe cost-cutting measures. For the new
Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade it is no different. Henk Bleker expects no great changes in the policy objectives of his
department, although the financial resources for international business are limited. Russia is one of the markets that have the
Minister’s direct attention: “Economy and economic interests are the cornerstones of the Dutch policy towards Russia.”
For further information on doing
business with the Netherlands:
www.hollandtrade.com
4
international business is essential to the Dutch
economy, and bleker knows this only too well.
“international trade largely determines our economic
growth”, he states. “every 4% growth in foreign trade
results in a 1% growth of our economy. the netherlands
has a reputation to uphold abroad, so i would say that
there are tremendous opportunities in light of the
crisis.” However, the minister wants to adopt a sensible
approach. “limited funds for our new policy on
international business will affect available programmes
and subsidies. the department is guided by a sense of
economic reality and a number of critical questions:
which markets are thriving, what are the problems
encountered by companies and what can the Dutch
government do to overcome such obstacles?”,
summarises the minister. “of all worldwide economic
growth between 2010 and 2015, approximately 65%
will be realised in the emerging markets, like Russia,
india and turkey. that is where my direct focus will be,
although in the interest of bilateral trade and investment,
it is also essential to keep good ties with governments
closer to home, such as germany and poland.”
Modernizing to keep up
bleker: “my ministerial responsibilities cover two major
areas: foreign trade and agriculture. it’s an ambitious
task, but i am able to create inter-relationships for the
good of both areas. foreign markets are of great
importance to many Dutch sectors, including agriculture.
So with every step i take in the field of foreign trade, i
am able to also actively promote the interests of our
Dutch agricultural sector. it is not a hard sell, because
this sector is doing extremely well in the international
arena.” Russia is one of the markets that have the
minister’s direct attention, bearing in mind the Russian
quest for modernization. “economy and economic
interests are the cornerstones of the Dutch policy
towards Russia. And agriculture plays a major role in
our bilateral economic relationship with the Russian
federation”, explains bleker. “modernization and
innovation are two major challenges for the Russian
economy. Dutch companies can undoubtedly contribute
to that process.”
the minister thinks there are unlimited advantages in
the bilateral trade with Russia. the country is relatively
close-by and has 140 million consumers: “Russia is
experiencing rapid economic growth of approximately
4% per year. it will need to adjust its industrial and
agricultural basis and modernize its entire infrastructure
in order to comply with global standards and
developments.” this is also essential to address the
needs of the domestic market, as Russia seeks to
become less reliant on imports of food supplies. this
undertaking will require healthy and efficient national
production measures that meet european quality
standards. “what it comes down to is that Russia as a
whole offers a gigantic opportunity”, states the
decision maker. “And the great sports events taking
place in the near future only reinforce this.”
bleker is very enthusiastic about the netherlands-
Russia business meet (nRbm) on 9 february 2011 in
Amsterdam. not only because the programme

nges”
highlights these issues, but also because it emphasizes
the importance of the various Russian regions. “Russia
is more than just moscow and St. petersburg. of
course, these cities have been the motor behind the
economy, but impressive economic developments
have also been witnessed in other regions over the
past few years. take murmansk, for example, which
would perfectly suit the maritime sector. or one of the
southern regions, like Krasnodar, which could be of
interest to the Dutch agricultural industry.” vice versa,
the nRbm also highlights opportunities in the
netherlands for Russian entrepreneurs. “our country
has established itself as an ideal location for large
Russian corporations and not only because of the
favourable fiscal climate. in terms of logistics and
technology, the netherlands is one of the frontrunners
on the world stage. we serve as a geographical
entry point to the european market and have a very
high standard of living”, states bleker.
Strong clusters in Dutch economy
During the nRbm, and beyond it, bleker will take the
opportunity to highlight some of the netherlands’
other appealing characteristics. A strong selling point,
according to bleker, is the presence of powerful
clusters. “in the coming years, our country must really
emphasize these strengths in order to attract even
more attention on the world stage”, states bleker. “in
terms of logistics and distribution, Schiphol airport and
the port of Rotterdam are two well known clusters.
but other assets, such as our high-tech industry in the
South-east (brainport), our food cluster with wageningen
university as a global expertise centre, and the chemical
and energy sector in the South-west, receive far less
attention.” for Russia, in particular, there are ample
opportunities for oil and gas-related investments
around the port-area. lukoil is a great example
because the Russian company has an oil terminal in
the region.
in the coming years, various economic missions will
travel to Russia to underline the huge opportunities
between the markets. “missions are an invaluable way
of introducing Dutch companies to their Russian
counterparts”, he states. However, thorough preparation
and knowledge of both cultures is a must. And
because of this, bleker urges companies to rely
on government information centres and networks.
“we encourage the use of economic diplomacy, so
that fantastic opportunities do not go to waste.
together we can make a difference in the challenging
times ahead.” ¨
�
Minister for Agriculture and
Foreign Trade, Henk Bleker
5

2011 will be the year of truth
The impact of worldwide measures to stimulate the economy is now wearing off, and companies
have, for the most part, replenished all their stocks. The European debt crisis seems to
have had little effect on the Dutch economy up to now. If the crisis is properly resolved,
the Netherlands may ultimately escape the economic turmoil without significant damage.
However, the situation remains fragile. If a substantial amount of loans issued by troubled
countries in the Euro-zone needs to be written off, things could deteriorate. In that case, the
Dutch economy could still suffer from associated losses of wealth.
By ING’s Economic Department
6
� Figure 1
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Business sentiment in Q4.10
the Dutch economy is on the verge of shifting down a
gear. the slowdown in growth of world trade will have
repercussions for the country’s exports. furthermore,
since the growth of Dutch disposable incomes will be
modest at best and the pessimism among consumers
about their future financial situation seems widespread,
the prospects for consumption in the Dutch domestic
market are not encouraging. the same can be said for
business investment, where one still finds substantial
overcapacity. investment will primarily take place in
terms of replacement, rather than expansion.
that said, the modest pace of economic recovery is
no real surprise. History demonstrates that economic
recovery after a financial crisis is usually sluggish,
because debt reduction leads to a longer period of
below-par growth. the labour market is determined
by the stages of recovery in the various sectors of the
%, balance of positive and negative responses
Economic
climate
Source: CBS
SME's Large companies
Investment
expectations
Employment
expectations
Production,
next quarter
economy. therefore, in 2011, job growth will be the
highest in industry, transport and business services,
and will lag behind in the retail and wholesale sectors.
employment in construction, agriculture and the public
sector will decline even further.
Business sector remains optimistic
in the fourth quarter of 2010, the Dutch business sector
maintained its confidence in the continuing economic
recovery. this emerged from a survey conducted by
employers’ organizations mKb-nederland and vnoncw,
the chamber of commerce and Statistics
netherlands (cbS). optimism about order intake is
feeding people’s expectations of a further increase
in production. Although most businesses still regard
‘insufficient demand’ as the main obstacle to production,
increased sales have helped ease some of the burden.
instead, more and more companies are now mentioning
staff shortages as a stumbling block. companies in
every sector, except construction and agriculture, have
expressed a willingness to recruit new staff in 2011.
the sentiments in the large-company segment (50
employees or more) have improved more than those
among Smes (figure 1). this can primarily be attributed
to the strong recovery in exports, from which large
companies have benefited more than Smes. Smaller
businesses normally tend to rely on the domestic market.
with consumers reluctant to spend, the sales of these small
enterprises have grown at a slower rate. nevertheless,
a large majority of Smes still expect to generate higher
turnover in 2011. Higher retail prices – probably driven
by a sharp increase in commodity prices – should
deliver part of this increase. while staff shortages

appear to be more of a problem for Smes, there is no
scarcity of production equipment. this helps to explain
the low propensity to invest. large companies expect to
spend more on new machines and vehicles for example
(figure 2).
Too pessimistic in 2010,
too optimistic about 2011
According to a survey by Statistics netherlands, industrial
companies expect to increase investment volumes
in 2011 by as much as 24%. businesses are more
optimistic than they have been for 10 years. investments
are mainly for replacement purposes.
it comes as no surprise that - in the same survey -
industrial companies describe ’replacement of old
tangible fixed assets’ as the most important reason for
investment. A lot of machines remained idle during the
economic crisis and plans for replacement investments
were put on hold. now that the economy is growing
and production is increasing again, machines are
gradually being deployed once more. given the
historically low capacity utilisation rate, there is still
a lot of unused production capacity. consequently,
expansion investments are not a priority for industrial
companies, while replacement investments are. there
comes a time when all cars, machines or computers,
which may have been used for two years longer than
anticipated because of the crisis, really need to be
replaced. this need for replacement helps to explain the
strong recovery in demand for production equipment.
meanwhile, investment in industrial premises is steadily
declining because of the abundant work space.
The Netherlands is ageing fast
for many years, the netherlands has been one of the
ten strongest economies in the world. in europe, only
germany and finland are more competitive (figure 3).
government finances in the netherlands are also in
better shape than those of many other countries. the
budget deficit is falling faster and the national debt also
compares favourably with those of strong euro countries.
However, little has been done to improve the country’s
competitiveness since the reforms implemented by
the second balkenende government, which focused
on important structure-enhancing measures in the
labour market, social security and healthcare. for the
netherlands, this is an obstacle to recovery. further
improvements in the country’s competitiveness are
crucial, if only to maintain the ability to meet rising costs
of health care. the Dutch population is ageing faster
than in the rest of europe. Although the number of
over-65s is still below the european average, the rate at
which the elderly population in the netherlands reaches
the average will accelerate in the coming years. with
a shrinking working population, and an anticipated
further increase in demand for care, it is very important
to increase labour productivity. All these elements mean
2011 will be the year of truth for the Dutch economy. ¨
� Figure 2
20
10
0
-10
-20
� Figure 3
Replacement demand explains dichotomy
%-change compared with earlier
-30
05 06 07 08 09 10
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
6 7
Total business investment, volume
Buildings, civil engineering, houses
Machines, computers, transport
Netherlands now one of the strongest
Position in ranking of world's most competitive economies
Fin
Ger
10
NL
16 17 18
Fra
Aus
Bel
Source: World Economic Forum
21 25
Lux
Ire
33 34 37
Spa
Cyp
Slo
43 47 48 52
Por
Slv
Ita
Mal
71
Gre
7

Elbrus: Bringing private
equity to Russia
Robert Thielen is founder and Managing Partner of Waterland Private Equity. His firm currently manages over 1.4 billion
Euros in a variety of funds and has a proven track record in investments in over 190 companies in Germany, the Netherlands
and Belgium. Together with two Russian business partners, Dmitri Krukov and Alexander Savin, Thielen found that post-crisis
Russia presented a unique investment opportunity. The trio acquired Renaissance Private Equity from the Renaissance Group
in 2009 and successfully restructured the fund in 2009 into Elbrus Capital, a private equity business focusing on Russia and the
Commonwealth of Independent States.
For further information:
www.elbcp.com
8
elbrus capital invests in companies looking for
opportunities to consolidate their markets and develop
market share in the post-crisis environment. the private
equity firm tries to acquire significant influence or
controlling stakes in fast growing businesses and
provides capital to entrepreneurs with the ambition to
take their companies to the next level of development.
the trio wholeheartedly believes in the opportunity.
“During the global financial crisis, Russia was hit more
severely than most other markets”, states thielen.
“And there was a downturn in many of the country’s
industries. Successful companies have now passed the
most difficult ‘survival tests’. many of them need to
complete the restructuring of their balance sheets and
grow their businesses while their competitors struggle
or lie in ruins.”
Fundamentally and fiscally appealing
private equity is greatly under-penetrated in Russia
compared to other bRic-countries, but positive market
dynamics are narrowing the gap. According to thielen,
people are slowly realizing that the Russian market is
undervalued: “in other words, they are reacting to
excessive capital flows into the other bRic-countries,
particularly china.”
companies like elbrus capital are rare,
while the prospects in Russia are very
promising. elbrus capital currently
manages a uSD 324 million
fund, with uSD 180 million
available for new investments.
the fund mainly consists
of international corporate investors,
who are typical private equity capital
providers. “fundamentally and fiscally,
Russia is one of the most attractive emerging
markets”, states thielen.
“Recently, it has demonstrated that it is a market with
the tools for a fast recovery.” the top-grade gDp per
capita among the bRic-countries is a good reference, as
is government spending to support economic growth.
“inflation is under control and the unemployment rate
has stabilized. Russia has strong fundamental qualities
for attracting foreign direct investments.”
the investment strategy of elbrus focuses on a couple
of distinct investment themes, which are expected to be
major factors in creating additional value in the
economy. thielen: “we are interested in companies
that are active in markets driven by changing consumer
patterns and increased expenditures in healthcare and
education. we also focus on companies that play a role
in business and social infrastructure investments or
companies that are part of the growing support services
to the natural resources industry.”
Trusting your business partners
the fund’s existing portfolio consists of pre-crisis
investments in a leading Russian internet group, an
automotive retailer in Siberia and a Russian tv and radio
business. the existing portfolio was built by thielen's
Russian business partners. working together with the
right partner is the key to success. “trust is very
important in doing business between the netherlands
and Russia, because of the cultural differences. in
general, trust is worth so much more than contracts and
lawyers combined.” it has been a good learning
experience: “in the end, we believe that success will be
based on our team’s ability to combine local expertise
with the experience and methods used in western
markets, in terms of market selection, consolidation
strategies and growth management. it will enable us to
make attractive investments and form long-term and
mutually beneficial partnerships with the best
entrepreneurs in their respective markets.” ¨

ING Russia: here for large
corporations
ING was among the first foreign banks with a strong presence in Russia. Today, ING Russia is
the only remaining Dutch bank in the country, and a major support to large corporations - both
local and international. Hans Grisel was appointed country manager three months ago, having
previously worked for ING in both Ukraine and Singapore. He is very positive about the Russian
business potential: “Russia’s importance on the global stage will only continue to increase.”
You have been appointed three months
ago. Can you describe your new
surroundings?
“i think there are three main differences, compared
to ukraine. firstly, the shock from the collapse of the
Soviet union affected both countries tremendously,
reducing gDp by 50% at the time. However, Russia
returned to a more stable form of government
significantly earlier than ukraine, which was extremely
important for economic development. Secondly,
Russia has an abundance of energy supplies. this has
given the country a huge advantage in recent years.
According to data from bp, oil extraction approached
495 million tonnes (close to 13% of the world total),
while gas extraction reached 528 billion cubic meters
in 2009 (18% of the world total). Around 50% of
produced oil and 30% of gas are currently being
exported. thirdly, and probably most importantly, is
the sense of purpose and history in Russia. there is
much pride.”
Is this sense of history and purpose also
mirrored in Russia’s position in the regional
and global economy?
“Actually, Russia is an emerging market that was one
of the front-runners before the crisis. it is lagging
behind because of structural drawbacks. that said,
Russia’s real gDp growth was around 4% in 2010
(growth peaked at 8.5% in 2007) and is expected to
be between 4% and 5% in the coming years. Russia’s
position is very strong. there is a significant amount of
international trade between Russia and surrounding
countries, and this continues to increase. in terms of
investments, ing has noticed a trend of increasing
cross-border investments from Russian banks, as well
as Russian industrial companies. this is a logical trend:
Russian banks have the resources to do so and are very
familiar with the surroundings, whereas industrial
companies are trying to re-establish some of the
former conglomerates that were carved up with the
fall of the Soviet union. in terms of the world economy,
Russia is of utmost importance when it comes to
energy, natural resources and agriculture. in addition,
i believe that Russia will continue to expand its role as
a foreign direct investor.”
How would this tie in with the future
direction of ING Russia?
“our clients come from the highest echelons - very
large and generally not tied to one bank. However, i
think many of them regard us as one of the leading
banks, and that is the position we want to be in.
Having said that, economic growth is currently much
higher in the domestic market than at international
level, with new local ‘champions’ emerging on a very
regular basis. increased focus on these promising local
companies is necessary in order to keep progressing.
this will be the main focus for the next twelve months
and will help our brand awareness and reputation
among clients. we have been a very consistent partner
and this consistency has been good for our image.
ing, for example, is highly regarded as an employer in
this region, both by graduates and by seasoned
professionals. internationally, we are very keen to help
clients from within our network, whether from the
netherlands or South Korea, to find their way around
the Russian market. via our european business Desk
(ebD), we support all newcomers to Russia by offering
a variety of services. All ebD-clients receive the same
treatment as other clients – the best service that we
can possibly provide.” ¨
� Hans Grisel
For further information:
www.ing.ru
hans.grisel@ingbank.com
9

For further information:
www.mechel.com
10
Mechel’s steel synergy
The Netherlands is an ideal landing spot for foreign companies. And leading Russian company, Mechel,
is only too aware of this. The specialist in the mining and steel business has founded a sub-holding
company, Mechel Services Global, in The Hague. CFO Stanislav Ploschenko looks beyond the tax
benefits when explaining the decision to establish the company in the Netherlands: “The Dutch are
more cosmopolitan and much easier to work with than people in other European countries.”
mechel is a low-cost, fully integrated mining and steel
company, focused on the production of mining
products such as coal and iron ore, as well as steel,
nickel and chrome. its business consists of facilities in
Russia, uS, bulgaria, Romania, Kazakhstan, while it
also owns three trade ports and a railway operating
company. mechel has a growth strategy that hinges
on expansion and investment. by way of organic
growth and acquisitions, the Russian company is in
the process of establishing a series of sub-holdings
that are integrated as an extra business layer to the
company. the sub-holdings all add value to existing
segments. “our aim is not necessarily to increase
production volume”, states ploschenko. “for instance,
the goal in our steel segment is to increase the margins
on our products, by capitalizing on the synergies
derived from our position as an integrated group and
by offering added value to our clients.”
Distribution from the entry point
the sub-holding company in the Hague is part of this
approach. the location is one of the largest distribution
centres in europe. it offers warehousing possibilities,
as well as an integrated sales and service division for
further vertical integration of the business. “besides
the tax benefits offered by the netherlands, the
location is also ideal from an operational perspective”,
states the manager. “the Hague is in very close
proximity to existing assets. we have, for example,
acquired a metal service company in Roosendaal, as
well as nearby businesses in Antwerp. the netherlands
plays an important part in the import and export
of our products.” the logistical infrastructure in the
netherlands is ‘second to none’, according to
ploschenko. because of all the underlying factors,
doing business in the netherlands is highly valued by
the cfo and his co-workers. “in our opinion, the
Dutch mentality is one of the most globally-oriented in
europe, if not the world. the history of your nation
shows that trading mentality is in your blood.”
Closing the gap
mechel plans for its mining division to become one of
the top three companies in the world. it also envisages
becoming the largest steel distributor in europe, by
eventually controlling the entire production chain.
“Russian business culture is very aggressive. we will
continue to expand in greater numbers all over the
world, particularly in europe”, predicts ploschenko.
“mechel’s operating results for 2010 demonstrate that
we not only managed to return to pre-crisis levels, but
that we also surpassed them.”
in order to continue this growth, the company must
intensify efforts to meet the requirements of european
customers. therefore, investment is essential in helping
to modernize the production process. “european
machine building and engineering is of much higher
quality than in Russia. europe has set the standard and
our company is diligently investing in technology
upgrades – this should help us to close the gap.”
with the urge to invest in modernizing the production
process, and with the ‘Dutch’ trade mentality in
mind, there seems to be no barrier to the future plans
of the Russian company. ¨

Wim Bosman Group:
An expressway to Russia
For more than 45 years, the Dutch company Wim Bosman Group has reaped the benefits
of companies’ need to outsource their logistics. The privately owned family business has
become one of the top 10 logistics companies in the Netherlands and is regarded as a
medium-sized player in Europe. Due to booming demand from international customers
to export their products to Russia, the service provider is now fully committed to this
upcoming market. Chief Commercial Officer, Mario Schoofs: “Expanding our distribution
network in Russia is definitely a major part of our future plans.”
wim bosman group is a 3pl+ service provider, which
stands for ‘third party logistics’. “customer demands
have become more specific over the years and we have
risen to the challenge of catering to all their needs”,
says Schoofs. “therefore, the plus sign in 3pl symbolises
our ability to create full supply chain solutions in a
one stop shop model, consisting of pro-active problem
solving concepts. whether it is in the field of value
added logistics labelling, assembly or stock and
distribution management.” Due to this pro-active
attitude, the company can use integrated warehousing,
transport and distribution solutions to completely
control its clients’ supply chain.
Thriving exports to Russia
the wim bosman group has offices and warehouses in
the netherlands, belgium, france, germany, Romania,
poland and Russia. in all other european countries, it
has an extensive network of partners and franchises.
“our world is expanding every day”, states Schoofs
enthusiastically, as he describes the situation in Russia.
“european exports to Russia are thriving. there is
increasing demand for western products in areas such
as fashion, consumer electronics and it. with our
contrailer concept, containers are shipped from various
ports in europe to our office in St. petersburg. once
they clear customs they are distributed via subcontractors
in Russia.” Schoofs laughs off suggestions
that laws and regulations in Russia might make such an
enterprise a logistical nightmare. “laws and regulations
are never the issue - preparation is”, he states. “for
companies, it is vital to learn intensively about the
country they are dealing with and to abide by their
rules. we have a young and dynamic, but above all,
experienced Russian staff, who are always fully up to
date on new regulations.”
Expanding the distribution network
Schoofs admits that customers might be prejudiced
about Russia, although he has never encountered
problems with transport or in dealing with Russian
employees. “every country has its own knowledge and
culture. the key is to respect that”, he states. the wim
bosman group does everything to reassure customers
that the best measures for freight safety and
sustainability are implemented. measures range from
real-time gpS tracking, an auto-lock feature and even
security escorts. furthermore, top officials at the
company regularly travel to Russia to handpick new
sub-contractors and to talk to partners: “one of our
main priorities is to maintain and carefully expand our
distribution network in Russia. ultimately, this serves
our company’s mid-term goal of rising up the ladder of
3pl+ service providers and establishing ourselves on the
world stage. over the next 3-5 years, we want to
constructively increase our annual
turnover by double digit figures,
although we realize that
growth must be sensible
and in relation to market
growth.”
considering the current
economic climate, focus
may shift to the east
sooner rather than later. ¨
For more information:
www.wimbosman.com
11

WWW.ING.COM
Netherlands-Russia
Business Meet 2011
A partnership for modernisation
A partnership for modernization
The first-ever Netherlands-Russia Business Meet in Amsterdam (9 February) highlights the strategic importance of the
Dutch-Russian partnership and the opportunities for strengthening the bilateral relationship. The Business Meet is linked
to the month long Russia Music Festival of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, which pays homage to the Russian cultural
heritage. Alexander Pisaruk, ING CEO Commercial Banking for Central and Eastern Europe, applauds the combination:
“There are a number of events that focus solely on business, but only few can combine business and culture at such high level.”
For further information:
www.nrbm2011.nl
Photo by: Leander Lammertink
the Russian federation and the netherlands have a
longstanding and solid economic relationship. today,
the netherlands is the second largest foreign trade
partner of Russia, constituting around 9.4% of total
Russian foreign trade turnover. However, there is ample
scope to further intensify the economic and commercial
ties between the two countries. ing took the initiative
of a business meet to offer a platform for indepth
discussions on new business opportunities. “the nRbm
is a one of a kind event. the programme is broad
enough to appeal to a variety of clients and other
interested parties”, states the ceo.
Modernization
A special workshop program offers the opportunity to
discuss specific issues such as bilateral trade, investment
partnerships and the specifics of the different Russian
regions. All this is of great interest to pisaruk: “Russia
has a huge landscape and every region has its own
characteristics. moscow and St. petersburg are popular
regions, of course, because they offer a high demand
for products and services, a highly skilled work force
and reasonably adequate infrastructure. but soon, other
cities will also come to the forefront.” the recent
allocation of great sports events like the 2014 winter
olympics and the 2018 world cup Soccer, will act
as a great catalyst. And not only for infrastructural
developments. pisaruk: “the netherlands is a worldrenowned
player in the area of logistics and infrastructural
management. furthermore, the two countries
can share a great deal of knowledge and opportunities
when it comes to modernization, particularly in the areas
of it, technology and innovation. A business meet like
this brings business partners together, and creates
momentum for the future.” the town of Skolkovo,
which recently was assigned a ‘presidential modernization
priority', is a good example. “it offers an attractive
opportunity for Dutch-Russian partnership, especially in
light of the expected development of Special economic
Zones”, reveals the ceo.
Russia Festival as an inspiration
the business meet is embedded in a cultural setting
in the concertgebouw Amsterdam: a Russia festival
sponsored by ing. pisaruk: “Sharing a passion for art
and culture could make it easier to talk about business.
therefore, it is natural for us to sponsor such a festival.”
concertgebouw ceo, Simon Reinink, agrees wholeheartedly.
He emphasizes the role of culture in bilateral
relationships. “by putting Russian music in the spotlight
at the concertgebouw, we are showing our admiration
and respect for Russian culture. the cultural setting
is an ideal background to establish relationships and
enhance common understanding between people.
culture and business go hand in hand. better still: they
strengthen each other.”
festival visitors can expect a cross section of the best
Russian music. top orchestras and performance groups
will travel to Amsterdam, and will include one of
Reinink’s personal favourites - the world-renowned
mariinsky orchestra, led by valery gergiev. “without
ing’s sponsorship, we would not have been able to
organize the Russia festival”, acknowledges Reinink.
He believes that a great source of inspiration would
have gone to waste. “for me, the festival will be a
success when the audience shares our love for Russian
music and gets inspired by the soul of the music.
it reflects, in my opinion, the Russian mindset of
remaining optimistic no matter what happens.” ¨