„Riga Forum 2006: Investment in the Baltic Metropolitan Regions”

PROGRAMME

August 24, 2006

Radisson SAS Daugava Hotel (Rīga, Latvia)

09.00 – 10.00    Registration of the Conference Participants (morning coffee)

10.00 – 10.30    Opening Address to the Conference Delegates by

                             Māris Kučinskis – Minister of Regional Development and Local Government, Latvia

                             Almers Ludviks – Vice - Mayor of Riga City, Latvia                            

                             Jaanus Mutli - Vice - Mayor of Tallinn City, Estonia

                             Gediminas Pavirzis - Vice - Mayor of Vilnius City, Lithuania

10.30 – 12.00    Plenary Session , Daugava Hall, 1st Floor

INVESTMENT AND COLLABORATION OF THE BALTIC SEA REGION STATES

 Moderator: Igors Graurs - Deputy Director of City Development Department, Head of Economic Board, Riga City Council, Latvia

•    Cooperation vs Competition: What is the Right Investment Strategy Model for the Baltic Sea Region?

      Alfs Vanags – Director of Baltic International centre for economic policy studies (BICEPS), Latvia

•     The Urban Dimension in European Cohesion Policy

      Marco Orani – Head of Division for Urban Issues of European Commission, Belgium

•    Cooperation within the Framework of EU Projects – a Tool that Stimulates the City Development

     Mareks Zeltiņš - Head of International Project Division of the City Development Department, Riga City Council, Latvia

•    Investment Opportunities and Attraction of Capital in the Baltic Stock Exchange: Model of Baltic Single Stock Market, Opportunities and Practice

      Daiga Auziņa – Melalksne – Chairman of Riga Stock Exchange Management Board, Latvia

•    How insurance can remove the risk from investments?

     Bill Gloyn – Chairman of the UK Commercial Property Practice Group within AON Ltd., United Kingdom

12.00 – 12.30    Coffee break

12.30 – 14.00    Continuation of the Plenary Session , Daugava Hall, 1st Floor

 Moderator:  Ivars Gaters - Chairman of the Committee on Municipal and Housing Issues of Riga City Council, Latvia

•     How Can We Attract Investors and Solve the Problems of City?

      Arvydas Avulis – Chairman of the Board of the Company Hanner, Lithuania

•    *Competition of Cities for Investment Attraction from the View of Investors

      Kārlis Caunītis - Executive Director of the Foreign Investors Council in Latvia

•    Using Public Private Partnership to attract investments for city development

      Nataļja Formuzala – Associate of the Corporative and Structural Finance Department of the Bank Nord/LB, Great Britain 

•   Baltic Metropolitan Regions in the Eyes of German Investors

     Roberts Stafeckis – German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Head of Latvian Office

•    The Baltic Challenge Award – a Platform for Regional Co-operation. Promoting Knowledge Transfer and User-Driven 

      Development  within ICTs – Global Perspective

     Linnar Viik - Chairman ofThe Baltic Challenge jury, Associate Professor of Intellectual Capital Theory, Estonian IT College

14.00 – 15.00    Lunch 

WORKSHOPS

15.00 – 17.00

15.00 – 17.00    Workshop 1, Daugava Hall, 1st Floor

THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF INVESTMENT ATTRACTION AND PERSPECTIVES IN REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Moderator: Pēteris Strancis – Head of the Riga City Planning Board at the City Development Department, Riga City Council, Latvia 

•    Analysis of Investment Attraction in the Baltic States

     Ardi Roosimaa - – Colliers International Managing Director, Estonia; Director of Colliers International Capital Advisory Department, Baltic States

•    Practical Advantages and Disadvantages of Investments to Commercial Buildings in Baltic Capitals

      Martynas Kačiulis – General Manager of the Company Europa Group Hotels, Lithuania

•    Successful Experience in Development and Realisation of Residental Real Estate Investment Projects in the Baltic Metropolises

      Urmas Hallika – Director of Strategic Development, Tallinn City Office

•    “Overheat” of Real Estate Market: Myth or Unavoidable Reality?

      Georgs Lansmanis – Chairman of the Board of the Company Ravenshill Consulting Ltd, Latvia

•    Basic Principles and Criteria for Attraction of West Investments for Real Estate Development in the Post – Soviet Union Countries

      Jonathan  Hay - Head of the company “Delindevelopment” USA/Ukraine

•    Municipal Land Policy in Creating New Business Areas

     Timo Härmälä– Secretary for IFHP (International Federation for Housing and Planning) Working Party on Land Policy and Helsinki Representant in the Organization, Finland

•    Will the Investments in the Real Estate Planning be Profitable – Evaluation of Investment

      Enver Akhmedzyanov – Managing Director of the Company My Dubai, UAE

15.00 – 17.00    Workshop 2, Lielupe Hall, 2nd Floor

                   INVESTMENT IN THE URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Moderator: Olita Sproģe – Director of International Projects of Riga City Traffic Department, Riga City Council, Latvia 

•    Key Priorities for the Development of the Urban Transport Infrastructure

     Jaanus Mutli - Vice - Mayor of Tallinn City, Estonia

•    Attracting PPP for Social Infrastructure Object’s Development in the City of Vilnius

     Ruta Vainiene – Advisor to the Mayor or Vilnius in Economic Issues, Lithuania

•    Global Transport Networks and Investment Attraction of City

     Igors Kabashkins – Member of the COST (European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific an Technical Research) Technical Committee on Transport, President and  Professor of Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Latvia

•    Investments in Railway Infrastructure and Strategic Development of the City: Problems and Solutions

     Aija Poča - Head of SJSC Latvian Railway Project Managing Department, Latvia

•    Role of Bus Terminals in Information Providing to Passengers

     Vaira Gromule – Chairwoman of the Board of Riga International Bus Terminal, Latvia

•    Positive and Negative Investment Aspects in Transport Sphere. PPP in Transport Sector

     Vladimirs Zvonarjovs – President of Latvian Transport Union/ Latvia  

•    Port as a Resource of City Development: Investors Attraction for Development of Port Infrastructure

     *Edgars Sūna - Head of Freeport of Riga Strategic Planning Department, Latvia

15.00 – 17.00    Workshop 3, Lietuva Hall, 1st Floor

Investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for City Development

Organized in cooperation with the Baltic Challenge Award

Moderator: Linnar Viik - Chairman of The Baltic Challenge Jury, Associate Professor of Intellectual Capital Theory, Estonian IT College

15.00 – 15.20

•    Getting better at getting better

Olov Östberg - Senior Adviser, Verva, Swedish Administrative Development Agency

 15.20 – 15.35

•    Investments in e-Rīga project

Ēriks Zēģelis – Director of Information Technology Centre, Riga City Council

The Baltic Challenge Award`2006 Project Presentations:

15.35 - 15.45             Anneli Wengelin- Gateway Sweden

15.45 - 16.55             Kullo LaosGeoWeb - Geodetic GIS Database of Tartu City  Government

16.55 - 17.05             Āris Āriņš - e-Procurement solution for the Procurement  monitoring  bureau of the Republic of Latvia

16.05 - 16.15             Aigars Tatarčuks - Citycredit

16.15 - 16.25             Giedrius Rakauskas - Vilnius e-Municipality

16.25 - 17.00             Discussion 

19.00 – 22.00    Reception of the Mayor of Riga at the House of Blackheads

                             The ceremony of The Baltic Challenge Award prize presentation

*There could be changes or additions in the programme.