In March-April 2009, the Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council (MARBC) will present the MARBC Month in Russia. Due to the fact that MARBC traditionally organizes American participation at a number of major events every March & April in Russia, MARBC has combined all March & April events into the MARBC Month in Russia. MARBC will coordinate the participation of the American delegations, including a significant number of companies from the Mid-Atlantic Region, and organize American programs and roundtables at the following events held in Moscow: ProMedia Tech, Moscow International Congress “Biotechnology: State of the Art and Prospects of Development,” Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition, Goszakaz, International Nano-industrial Exhibition ”NTMEX-2009”, International Forum “High Technology of the 21^st Century”, and the Sister-City Expo and Conference. The MARBC will also be participating in several other events during MARBC Month in Russia, including RusBuild, Toy Russia, and MosBuild.

The MARBC Month in Russia will begin with the ProMedia Tech Conference which is to be held from March 2-5 at the Crocus Expo International Exposition Center in Moscow. This international promotion and advertising technologies festival, which has an anticipated attendance of over 30,000 visitors, will provide an excellent opportunity for networking amongst exhibitors and potential customers of promotional, mass-media, and promotion technology services. At the event, the MARBC will be leading a panel discussion focusing on opportunities for Russian-U.S. cooperation in the promotion and advertising fields.

Expanding upon the success of last years’ cooperation between American and Russian bio-industry firms, the MARBC Month in Russia will continue with the participation of the MARBC delegation to the 6^th Moscow International Congress “Biotechnology: State of the Art and Prospects of Development” in Moscow City Hall on March 16-20, 2009. The Biotech World 2009 exhibition will highlight the entire spectrum of biological products for pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industry, veterinary medicine, geology and industrial enterprises, biological products for protection and recovery of environment, etc. In the past the MARBC has hosted the Russia-American symposium “Issues of current importance for Russia-USA cooperation in the field of biotechnology” and an American exposition at the exhibition. The MARBC will again be participating in a similar program.

On March 18-21, MARBC will be assisting American participation in the largest travel and tourism exhibition in Russia, which is considered to be the third largest in the world - 16^th Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition. This event is a perfect opportunity for international tourism companies to come abreast with recent trends and developments in the Russian tourism industry, as well as to present their companies and establish new business relationships with Russian counterparts. In 2008 more than 3000 companies from 110 countries and regions participated in the exhibition. At the 2007 exhibition, MARBC President, Val Kogan, along with former British Ambassador to Russia, Roderick Line, gave opening speeches while participating at the welcoming ceremony of the exhibition. MARBC is working to attract leading U.S. tourism and travel companies to participate in the 2009 exhibition.

GOSZAKAZ, which is the government procurement forum-exhibition where companies may represent their products to budget holders of all levels of the Russian federal and regional governments, will be on March 23-25.

The MARBC Month in Russia will continue with the 6^th International Nano-industrial Exhibition ”NTMEX-2009”, which will be held on April 15-17, 2009 in the Universal Exhibition hall of the building of the Government of Moscow. The specialized nano-industrial exhibition ”NÒÌÅÕ” covers all the aspects of nanotechnologies and materials starting from setting the task and finishing with technical implementation and industrial introduction, stimulating interest among the Russian and foreign specialists of this industry representatives of governmental, financial and business structures.

The MARBC Month in Russia will continue with the 10^th International Forum: High Technology of the 21^st Century, April 21-24, where MARBC will also organize an American exhibition and the symposium “Opportunities for Russian-American Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technology,” on April 23^rd in the Expocenter, Moscow. Technological achievements in the fields of space, electronics and communications, information, atomic science, mechanical engineering and metal-working, laser technologies, medicine and biotechnology, ecology, chemistry and new materials, alternative energy and energy-efficient technologies, and safety and security technology will be presented at this Forum. Official representatives from various regions of Russia will actively participate in the conference. Roundtables and seminars will be organized on the latest trends in science-intensive industries, especially regarding the problems of innovative activities and financing scientific projects. Organizations specializing in the field of high technology production, including state science centers, academic institutions, financial companies, investment and venture enterprises, will make presentations on newly developed products as well as on the latest regional and inter-regional developments, and American companies will give presentations on the topic of Russian-American technological cooperation. Additionally, the Moscow Entrepreneurs Association in partnership with MARBC will co-host the innovation competition “Leader in the Field of High Technology,” as well as the award ceremony for the laureates of the Forum. There are several categories in the innovation competition, including: information technology and electronics; transport, fuel, and energy; ecology and natural resources; new materials; production technology; and consumer goods.

MARBC Month in Russia will conclude with the Sister-City Expo Conference, to be held from April 25-29, 2009. The Sister-City Expo conference will commemorate the 45 Anniversary years Russian Cities Association.

The Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council will also be participating in several other events as a part of MARBC Month in Russia. These events will include RusBuild, March 10-13, and MosBuild, March 31- April 3, both of which are professional construction exhibitions highlighting dominating trends in the construction industry. Also to be included in MARBC Month in Russia is Toy Russia, March 11-14, which offers an exciting opportunity to access the Russian toy market as demand for western products rises.

In the past the Moscow International Salon of Innovations & Investment and BIOEURASIA have both been included in MARBC Month in Russia, however the 9^th Moscow International Salon of Innovations & Investment will now be held in August 2009 and BIOEURASIA has been rescheduled for April 2010. While the Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council will still be participating in the events, they will not be a part of the 2009 MARBC Month in Russia.

Even with the new challenges presented by today’s global economy, the Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council is excited about the opportunities for success in Russian-U.S. business cooperation.

For further information on the MARBC Month in Russia, please contact Val Kogan, President of the MARBC, by phone at: (215) 708-2628, by e-mail at: val@ma-rbc.org or visit the MARBC website: http://www.ma-rbc.org.

Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council Hosts American Section
At the 10^th International Forum “High Technology of the 21^st Century” in Moscow

The Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council (MARBC) invites you to participate in the symposium “Opportunities for Russian-American Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technology” on April 23, 2009, in the Moscow Expocenter. This symposium will be organized within the framework of the 10th International Forum: “High Technology of the 21^st Century” on April 21-24, 2009. Held with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense, Federal agencies and services, the Russian Academy of Science, Government of Moscow, the Moscow Entrepreneurs Association, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, and in association with the Office of the Mayor of Moscow, this Forum will host Russian and international businesses as well as organizations specializing in the field of high technology production, including state science centers, academic institutions, financial companies, and investment and venture enterprises. MARBC will once again be coordinating participation of the American business community in the Forum, including its International Exhibition and Business Conference components.

The “High Technology of the 21^st Century”: International Exhibition presents technological achievements in the fields of space, electronics and communications, information, atomic science, laser technologies, mechanical engineering and metal-working, medicine and biotechnology, ecology, chemistry and new materials, alternative energy and energy-efficient technologies, and safety and security technology. The exhibition will also cover achievements in areas such as healthcare, education and agro-industrial complexes. Round tables and seminars will be organized on the latest trends in science-intensive industries. With official representatives from various regions of Russia actively participating in the conference, there will be presentations on newly developed products as well as on the latest regional and inter-regional developments.

The Business Conference portion of the Forum includes a series of seminars and round tables regarding the problems of innovative activities and financing scientific projects. Discussions will be held in the following topics: attraction of investments into high technology, mechanisms for cooperation between the science industry and the private sector, intellectual property, improvement in training systems for industry scientists, problems and solutions arising from large scale integration, and international cooperation in the field of high technology.

As part of the American program and in collaboration with the Moscow Entrepreneurs Association, MARBC will host a symposium “Opportunities for Russian-American Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technology.” MARBC will arrange an American exhibition and additional seminars with topics related to Russian-American technological cooperation. The Moscow Entrepreneurs Association, in partnership with MARBC, will organize a presentation session of laureates of innovative projects’ competition, a round table on the “Major Problems Associated with Implementation of Innovative Technology,” and a workshop on the “Development of Innovative Activity: Finance Attraction, Products and Services Promotion.”

In partnership with the Committee for Innovation Technology and Venture Financing of the Moscow Entrepreneurs Association, MARBC will co-host the innovation competition “Leader in the Field of High Technology,” as well as an award ceremony for the Forum’s laureates. Projects for the competition have been submitted throughout the year and are judged in seven categories: information technology & electronics; transport, fuel & energy; ecology & natural resources; new materials; production technology; and consumer goods.

For further information on American participation in the Forum, please contact Val Kogan, MARBC President, by phone at: (215) 708-2628, via e-mail at: val@ma-rbc.org or visit the MARBC website: http://www.ma-rbc.org.

Dear Executive,

Since the Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council traditionally organizes Russian and American participation in several events in Russia during March and April, the MARBC has combined these events into MARBC Month in Russia. Since 1994, the main priority of the MARBC has been promoting prosperous Russian-American business cooperation by organizing Russian and American participation in over 25 events annually in the U.S. and Russia.

Further strengthening commercial ties between the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region and Russia, MARBC is coordinating the participation of the American delegations, including several companies from the Mid-Atlantic Region, in some of the largest industry leading events in Russia. The MARBC will be organizing American programs and roundtables at the following events in Moscow:

      ProMedia Tech, March 2-5;

      6^th Moscow International Congress:
            Biotechnology: State of the Art and Prospects of Development, March 16-20;

      16^th Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition, March 18-21;

      Goszakaz, a government procurement forum-exhibition, March 23-25;

      6^th International Nano-Industrial Exhibition ”NTMEX-2009”, April 15-17;

      10^th International Forum: High Technology of the 21^st Century, April 21-24;

      Sister-City Expo and Conference, April 25-29.

The Mid-Atlantic – Russia Business Council will also be participating in several other events as a part of MARBC Month in Russia. These additional events are to include RusBuild, March 10-13, Toy Russia, March 11-14, and MosBuild, March 31-April 3, as well as several other additional events.

As a member of the Russian-American business community, I would like to invite you to take part in the events of the MARBC Month in Russia, which will offer advantageous opportunities to network with your industry’s Russian and American counterparts and associates. Since MARBC is currently making arrangements, we hope you will be interested in attending or presenting at events during the MARBC Month in Russia. I would also like to offer you the opportunity to promote your products and services to Russian and American companies and executives by becoming a sponsor of one or more events from MARBC Month in Russia. For more information about these events, please contact me by phone: (215) 708-2628, email: val@ma-rbc.org, or visit: http://www.ma-rbc.org.

Best regards,

Val Kogan

President of the Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council