The round table of the ANO "Center for International Business Seasons" became the central substantive event of the forum program. The discussion was moderated by Natalia Ivanova, Head of the Joint Directorate of the Ecosystem of the Moscow Association of Entrepreneurs NGO.
Dmitry Minakov, Vice president of the same association, opened the discussion: capital requirements for projects have become complex, financial returns and market scale are no longer enough. The investor looks at the stability of supply chains, legal security and the quality of partners. Antonina Denisevich, Advisor to the Eurasian Business Association, called the transition from trade to joint technology creation a condition for sustainable ties.
The most applied part was presented by the project manager of the agency Mates China by Alina Rebechenko. The report "Exporting to China: from Brand Development to first sales" examined the exporter's path from product adaptation to building Chinese consumer confidence. The transfer of Russian marketing models to the Chinese market does not work: we need to take into account the local digital environment and consumer culture.
Yulia Kuvarzina, CEO of Al Rayed Export, spoke about the niches and barriers in the markets of friendly countries: expansion begins with a realistic assessment of demand and a reliable local partner. Ingrid Kim, Director General of the Center for Cooperation with African Countries, added that SADC's focus is on long—term presence instead of one-time deliveries.
Ebrahim Mello, an expert on Iran and the Middle East at Aurora 78 and the BRICS+ Consortium, analyzed the search for local partners, logistics and calculations. Dmitry Talal Bridge, President of the GLOBAL RUSSIAN CLUB, concluded the round table with a report on partnership with the Gulf states. In a separate section, Natalia Ivanova revealed technological alliances using the example of VEB.RF.
Editorial comment. The through-line of all the speeches reads the same in the Chinese, African and Middle Eastern directions: the market is opened by presence, not supply. For an exporter, this is a different planning horizon and a separate budget item for a local partner.
Related materials:
- IBT-2026 at MGIMO: four days about the international business program of the forum, where a round table was held
- How to verify a Chinese counterparty: a step—by-step algorithm with official resources - how to find a reliable local partner in China
- The Persian Gulf countries are an attractive harbor for Russian entrepreneurs — where to start entering the Gulf markets
