 |
|
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, The Kharkov Chamber of Commerce and Industry I have the honor to represent is one of the oldest regional chambers of commerce of Ukraine.This year it has turned 85 years. Kharkov itself is 356 years old. From the very beginning, the city coat of arms had the symbols which personify trade and crafts all over the world the Rod of Mercury and the Horn of Abundance. So nobody shall be misled by a comparatively young age of our chamber: Kharkov has crafts and trade at least for three centuries. Now make a little excursion into historical domain. This land in the southern part of the Russian State began to increase population very intensively in the beginning of the 17th century. These were migrants from Polish territories, freedom-loving and enterprising people. Alongside with military service, they managed to be engaged in trade and conduct a kind of business. They were permitted to be engaged in duty-free distillation, which output product, together with bread and herds of domestic animals, became popular both in the internal and foreign markets.
Rooting in the city, Kharkovites, as they became to be called in that time, mastered quickly such crafts as carpet-making, pottery, blacksmith's work, etc. The goods required to be sold, they penetrated abroad to become known in Europe. This was promoted by numerous fairs which appeared as early as in the 18th century. And the next 19th century became for Kharkov an age of capital accumulation. Opening the railway communication with the central part of Russia and mastering Donets Coal Basin required a powerful financial structure. Kharkov’s banking system was the third one after St. Petersburg and Moscow. In 1925 there was taken a decision on establishment of Kharkov Chamber of Commerce and Industry to set commercial and economical relationships with Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Balkan countries, etc. During industrialization years, Kharkov became one of the largest centers of machine-building in the USSR. In that time it included: goods examination bureau, commercial advertising department, photographic laboratory. Independent Ukraine inherited, alongside with a rather powerful economy, a number of internal and foreign-economic problems. It was necessary to meet challenges of time. First of all, we began to strengthen the Chamber’s membership base, which required widening the scope of our services. During these years, the number of our members increased from 180 to 280. As a result, grew quantity and quality of our services. Today Kharkov Chamber of Commerce and Industry provides a wide range of services on: foreign-economic activities; legal issues; organization and conducting of meetings, seminars, presentations, exhibitions; bar codes assignment; certification; examination; translation from foreign languages; cargo declaration; marketing research. To improve quality of certificates of origin we have introduced "Certificate" applied software, developed an electronic documents circulation system using formalized documents, control through Internet and electronic signatures. We provide for certification of our experts abroad and membership of our Chamber in international associations of inspection companies. Now the Chamber includes an information analysis center which gathers and distributes business offers among business people of Kharkov Region. Cooperating with about fifty of chambers of commerce and industry all over the world, we never forget that our nearest neighbors are our largest commercial and economical partners. On initiative of Kharkov Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Byelorussian-Russian-Ukrainian Frontier Regions started its work. It was established by seventeen regional chambers of commerce and industry of these countries. The strategy and tactics of an active development of mutual relations and mechanisms of cooperation connections are elaborated during the general meetings. Foreign trade of Kharkov region is characterized by growth of export and that of import deliveries. Traditionally the largest share of export is provided by mechanical equipment, machines and mechanisms; a substantial growth is observed in supplies of instruments and devices. The export of building materials shows stability. A gradual growth in export of such goods as flour-grinding products, textile, milk products and butter is observed. The high technological sector prevails in export deliveries, taking about 50%. Even during the crisis, the structure of import retained its optimal nature. Here the predominant place is taken by road transport means, boilers, machines, devices and equipment, polymeric materials, plastics, rubbers. Growth of purchase of such goods in EU and Russian Federation testifies that the process of technical re-equipment of production facilities gathers momentum, with taking into consideration the requirements connected with membership of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization. All the employees of Kharkov Chamber of Commerce and Industry and I as its President for two last decades, are proud of our contribution to economy of Kharkov and Kharkov Region, considering this as a great honor. I want to address to all our today and future partners: "Welcome to Kharkov!" |