President’s Report

May 1, 2004

Dear Friends and Colleagues of CCI,

Much is happening as spring breaks forth across America and Russia. While in Washington, D.C. investigating anti-corruption technologies, CCI's 100 Russian alumni got to enjoy the city's breathtaking cherry blossoms. Parts of Russia are already budding in preparation for lilac and tulip season. What a time of renewal for nature - and for our latest program!

NEXT STEPS - CORRUPTION-REDUCTION PROGRAM: CCI's effort to support Russia's entrepreneurs to build a fair and transparent business sector across the country is in full swing. Starting with the Washington Symposium, March 20-26, followed by the nationwide TV talk show from Moscow on March 28 and the presentation in the Kremlin on March 30, the 100 regional entrepreneurs plucked up their courage and took their newly gained knowledge to their home cities where many of their problems reside.

Numerous email reports, which demonstrate serious activity throughout the delegates' 30 regions, have poured in during April. Press conferences, news coverage, meetings with officials and entrepreneurs' focus groups have taken place throughout the month. The following are a few examples:

• St. Petersburg: Two symposium participants managed to get articles published in newspapers on corruption reduction within three days of arriving back in their city. The St. Petersburg contingent of ten delegates met and decided to create a large press conference for the city newspapers and TV, which took place on April 12.
  
  
• Novosibirsk: A press conference yielded a three-page story in a leading newspaper just days after their return. See article and photos. "You can't imagine how many calls we received after publishing the article," reported Nonna Barkhotova, CCI representative in the Siberian capital city. Shortly thereafter, the delegates were invited to a round table discussion with the mayor, oblast officials and entrepreneurs where they discussed anti-corruption technologies from other countries.
  
  
• Voronezh/Belgorod: Delegates held a press conference and worked out a resolution to facilitate business development in their communities on the basis of what was learned in Washington.
  
  
• Kazan: On April 7, a round table discussion on the delegates work in Washington and Moscow took place with representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan, along with law enforcement agencies, business people, scholars, journalists and community leaders. At the conclusion of the round table, they agreed to follow the recommendations formulated by our delegates and presented to President Putin.
  
  
• Krasnodar: A delegate prepared a special TV report about the symposium, and there was a TV interview with the Washington delegates. The delegates are writing an article for the region's newspaper. They also made a presentation on the activities of the symposium to the Rotary Club in Krasnodar.
  
  
• Vladivostok: Yuri Minkin gave three interviews to a local newspaper and two regional papers. Yuri and other delegates met with members of the city administration and lawyers to brief them on key information about the symposium. The delegates briefed their Rotary Club members, who were very impressed with what had transpired during the symposium.
  
  
• Chelyabinsk: Valery Bortsov gave an interview for the local newspaper in Ozersk and a radio interview in Chelyabinsk. A press conference was held on April 21.
  
  
• Tyumen: A very succesful press conference was held in Tyumen on April 1. Delegates announced to newspaper and TV reporters and Tyumen region entrepreneurs that delegates to Washington are ready to help them with solutions to their administrative-barrier conflicts with Tyumen officials. On April 15, Tyumen delegates held a follow-up round table.
  
  
• Ekaterinburg: Symposium participants met with the vice mayor of the city. He was very interested to hear about the program and the trips to Washington and Moscow and promised to provide assistance to the group's initiatives on corruption issues.
  
  
• Novokuznetsk Oblast: A symposium delegate gave an interview to the local TV and newspaper reporters. He met with the mayor of the city, who was responsive and agreed to help with focus group coordination and promised support to the program initiatives.
  
  
• Rostov on Don: A. Matsionis and A. Skorik developed an official letter and will meet with the Governor of Rostov Oblast regarding the Washington/Moscow events. I. Nepeivoda had an interview with the local business newspaper. The Address to President Putin and Recommendations to the President will be published in the newspaper in the near future.
  
  
• Nizhny Novgorod: V. Aminev is working on the www.nocorruption.ru website, which will feed into the CCI Russia website. He is coordinating with membebers of the Washington/Moscow delegation regarding website content and association development.
  
  
• Kolomna: A. Davidovich reports there is wide interest, responses and effect from the Pozner television talk show on March 28.
  
  
• St. Petersburg: D. Kalinchuk, who made the opening remarks in the Kremlin, met with President Putin's Economic Advisor, Andrei Illarionov, who said it is possible to rely on his personal support in regional activities, use his name, and refer to him in letters to the governors and others. Also he said to contact him for other proposals and requests to facilitate the delegates' work.
  
  

Dear friends, this is just a tip of the iceburg. There will be more to come. Interesting to me is the level of interest and support from officialdom in these cities. As entrepreneurs have said, ''We can feel the wind blowing from the top,'' meaning that even Putin has now taken on the corruption issue from the top; therefore, others down the chain understand they must take new posture to this subject - or at least appear to.

It is safe to say that the battle has just begun to be waged. The exciting aspect is to see that the entrepreneurs feel sure of their cause after learning the other nations' experiences. This is the first time they have been ready to take on these issues. A second conference will be held June 11-13 in Moscow to determine registration of the new association being formed, the scope of the new website, plans for the next nationwide TV show, and how to develop a public awareness campaign across the country.

Exciting? YES!

Best wishes to each of you,

Sharon Tennison
President