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[post_date] => 2025-04-15 14:47:33
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[post_content] => 7-12 April, 2025 MGIMO completed the 15th round of the advanced training program “GR and lobbying in Business and Nonprofit Sector”, implemented by Baikal Communications Group in cooperation with the MGIMO School of Business and International Proficiency.
The purpose of the program is to master and improve the activities of professional specialists in presenting and promoting the interests of business and NGOs in government bodies at the federal and regional levels, as well as in the supranational and international space.
The course program consists of disciplines dedicated to various aspects of GR and lobbying activities: building communication between businesses and government authorities (regional, federal, international, and supranational levels) amid geopolitical uncertainty; GR’s role in sustainable development and M&A transactions; cooperation with business and industry associations, think tanks and academic institutions, state corporations and development institutions; and interaction with the Subcommission of the Government Commission for Monitoring Foreign Investment in the Russian Federation. The core part of the program includes training in the ethics and regulation of GR and lobbying, internal and external GR and lobbying tools such as personal contacts, insider information, stakeholder mapping, GR and lobbying strategies, written communications with government bodies, monitoring and analyzing the regulatory environment, assessing regulatory risks and opportunities, legal and sectoral analysis of draft laws and other regulations, PR tools, event management, and more.
24 experts spoke during the course, including:
- Denis Abdrahmanov – Director of the Center for Legal Initiatives, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
- Lyubov Aksenova – GR Director, EkoNiva Group
- Irina Arkhipova – Professor at HSE, Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainability, Kraft Heinz (Russia)
- Dmitry Ashin – Head of Regulatory Initiatives, Yandex.Taxi
- Eduard Voytenko – PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor at MGIMO, CEO, Baikal Communications Group
- Kirill Dozmarov – Associate Partner, Baikal Communications Group; Expert, Center for Economic and Legal Expertise (MSU)
- Anton Yeropkin – Director of Government Relations in Russia and the CIS, Olam Russia
- Anastasia Ivanova – GR Director, Gaskar Group
- Roman Kletskikh – GR Director, NAUMEN; Chairman of RUSSOFT
- Dmitry Kononov – Head of GR, PJSC VimpelCom; State Councillor of the Russian Federation, 3rd class
- Dmitry Krokhmalev – Director of Government and Regional Relations, JSC Mashinostroenie (Rosatom)
- Alexander Likhanov – CEO, National Champions Association
- Andrey Lyan – Director of Government Relations, Cargill Russia
- Anastasia Maletina – Government Relations Lead, VkusVill
- Alexander Moskovkin – Head of the Law Department, Rossiyskaya Gazeta
- Evgenia Ovchinnikova – Head of Foreign Trade Support, BIOCAD
- Dmitry Polikanov – PhD in Political Science, Deputy Head, Rossotrudnichestvo
- Nikita Ryblenkov – Deputy CEO, Novostal-M LLC
- Nikita Smirnov – PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor, Director of Government Relations, Krasny Oktyabr
- Gleb Sukhanov – PhD in Economics, Head of Government Relations, PJSC T Plus
- Irina Fedorova – Vice President of Government Relations, Baltika Breweries
- Anastasia Tsvetkova – CEO, Lake Baikal Foundation
- Artyom Yulegin – Head of Business Advocacy, Department of Entrepreneurship Development, Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC)
- Representative of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation
The speakers shared their GR expertise from various sectors of the economy and NGOs: agriculture and food industry, FMCG, e-commerce and telecom, IT, unmanned aviation systems, high-tech domestic companies, pharmaceuticals, retail, metallurgy and mining, companies with state participation, and natural monopolies (e.g., energy and utilities), environmental NGOs, and more. Special focus was given to GR strategies for mitigating political and regulatory risks under sanctions regimes.
During the six days of interactive sessions and master classes, participants explored the principles and functions of lobbying, its tools and methods, and GR practices in foreign and Russian B2G communications under sanctions and countersanctions, using real-life examples from different industries. The course also covered specifics of GR communications between NGOs and government bodies. A distinctive feature of the 15th edition was the inclusion of master classes on evaluating the economic efficiency of a company's GR department and developing GR and lobbying strategies to address specific regulatory challenges in various industries.
Participants included representatives from organizations such as: Gazprom Neft PJSC, Gazprom Export LLC, KNGK-INPZ LLC (Ilsky Refinery), East Mining Company LLC, Polyus Management Company LLC, Steel Construction Development Association, Uzum Market (Uzbekistan), O2O Holding LLC, Expomobility LLC, MTS PJSC, ITMS JSC, Siglo de Oro Cigar Factory, AgroTerra Group, EkoNiva-APK Holding LLC, Port Alliance JSC, FESCO (DVMP PJSC), Petrochemical Transport Company LLC, Saint-Gobain Construction Products Rus LLC, Aero Disk LLC, Coldiz LLC, ACADEMIA Boutique Hotels, ADV LLC, Prosveshchenie Publishing House JSC, StandUp Innovations LLC, Alnilam LLC, Polyus Charitable Foundation, Office of the Microfinance Ombudsman (Kazakhstan), National Association of Healthcare Managers, Eurasian Economic Commission, and others.
At the end of the program, 32 participants received MGIMO state standard certificates of advanced training.
Registration is open for the 16th cohort, which is scheduled for October 13-18, 2025. The course duration is 6 days (60 academic hours).
[post_title] => 15th graduate course «GR and lobbying in business and nonprofit sector»
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[post_date] => 2025-03-03 07:56:37
[post_date_gmt] => 2025-03-03 04:56:37
[post_content] => On the 25th February, 2025, the
Research Centre for Legal Expertise became a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP). It is worth noting that the organization is part of the ecosystem of Baikal Communications Group and was created to assist the government, businesses, and non-profit organizations in legislative tasks.
As part of the membership process in the business association, CEO of the Center,
Sofia Strakhova, participated in a business breakfast with RSPP President Alexander Shokhin and other new members of the Union. During the meeting, the head of the RSPP outlined the key areas of the union’s work and highlighted the priority tasks for its committees and commissions. In turn, Sofia Strakhova discussed the activities of the Center and its plans for working within the RSPP framework.
In cooperation with the Union, the Research Centre for Legal Expertise will focus on improving legislation and developing mechanisms for legal regulation. In this regard, the organization has joined the RSPP Committee on Regulatory Policy, which has resumed its activities after a three-year hiatus.
The Research Centre for Legal Expertise has identified several key areas for its work within the committee. Firstly, it has been decided to concentrate on the preparation and expert discussion with stakeholders of the draft federal law "On Normative Legal Acts in the Russian Federation." The absence of such a normative legal act, according to some experts, creates challenges for systematic quality control of legislative decisions made. Its adoption could facilitate a more transparent dialogue between business and government, formalizing interaction procedures among the subjects and objects of state regulation.
Secondly, the Research Centre for Legal Expertise plans to participate in the development of the regulatory impact assessment (RIA) system. This mechanism has proven to be one of the effective tools for interaction between the government, businesses, and society, although its potential could be fully realized, especially within parliamentary procedures.
On the same day, the first meeting of the updated RSPP Committee on Regulatory Policy took place during the forum "RIA and Other Tools for Business and Government Interaction." The discussion included RSPP President Alexander Shokhin, AVTOVAZ President Maxim Sokolov, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Khersontsev, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Konstantin Panferov, representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Federation Council, the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation, and other experts.
The Research Centre for Legal Expertise hopes that its active participation in RSPP activities and interaction with professionals in the field will contribute to enhancing the quality of legal regulation in the interests of both business and government.
[post_title] => The Research Center for Legal Expertise Joins RSPP
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[ID] => 9055
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[post_date] => 2025-02-18 10:09:11
[post_date_gmt] => 2025-02-18 07:09:11
[post_content] => On February 14–15, 2025, the first group of participants completed training as part of the GR Laboratory organized by Baikal Communications Group and the Eurasian Cooperation Center.
The GR Laboratory is a new educational project. It consists of two-day intensive courses where participants acquire and refine skills in advocating and promoting interests within federal and regional governmental bodies, as well as in the international arena.
The academic supervisor of this new educational program is Eduard Voytenko, PhD in Political Science, CEO of Baikal Communications Group and
Edward's East Strategies.
Featured speakers at the GR Laboratory included specialists from Russian and international companies in the real sector of the economy, as well as representatives from governmental bodies:
- Eduard Voytenko – Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor at MGIMO, CEO of Baikal Communications Group and Edward's East Strategies.
- Yana Kotukhova – Candidate of Medical Sciences, Director for Government Relations and External Communications in the EAEU countries, Servier.
- Alsu Hakimova – Candidate of Legal Sciences, Head of the Expert and Analytical Department of the Central Committee of the "United Russia" Party.
- Nikita Smirnov – Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor, Director for Interaction with Government Authorities, AO "Krascvetmet."
- A representative from the Department for Business Development of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
The intensive program included the following topics:
- Tools for promoting business interests within governmental bodies during geopolitical turbulence.
- Peculiarities of communication with federal, regional, and supranational (EEC) authorities.
- Regulatory impact assessment and other methods of engagement with government authorities.
- A system for evaluating the economic effectiveness of a company's GR unit.
- Interactive case studies from various industries.
- Personal professional experiences of experts from both business and government, among others.
Participants in the first cohort of the educational program represented the following companies: SNF Vostok LLC, Boiron, Nordgold, AO "IL DE BOTÉ," LLC Naos Vostok (Bioderma), Ascensia Diabetes Care LLC, ITE Expo, Pfizer, and others.
To find out the date of the next GR Laboratory cohort, follow updates on the company's website and
Telegram channel.
[post_title] => The First Cohort of the GR Laboratory Has Concluded
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[post_modified] => 2025-03-07 11:48:11
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[3] => WP_Post Object
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[post_date] => 2025-01-24 13:22:04
[post_date_gmt] => 2025-01-24 10:22:04
[post_content] => Baikal Communications Group announces the launch of a new analytical
service for the economic justification (audit) of the GR function.
This product provides both quantitative and qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of interactions with government bodies to enhance the transparency and efficiency of GR activities. The service will be useful not only for companies that already have a GR department but also for businesses that are just considering establishing one.
The economic justification (audit) of the GR function helps to determine how current and prospective company activities in government relations contribute to achieving strategic goals, minimizing risks, and creating long-term competitive advantages.
This service will be beneficial for business owners, shareholders, and top management, as well as for heads of GR departments, to justify their decisions and develop an effective strategy for their assigned division.
Practically, the service will allow:
- Calculating potential economic effects from establishing a GR function within the company;
- Justifying the GR department's budget volume;
- Assessing the performance of the GR department;
- Optimizing the work of the GR department.
For more information or to discuss cooperation opportunities, please send a request to:
msk@b-c-g.ru.
[post_title] => New Service for Economic Justification of GR Function
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[post_date] => 2025-01-16 20:39:23
[post_date_gmt] => 2025-01-16 17:39:23
[post_content] => In 2025, the second book prepared by specialists from Baikal Communications Group on the issues of business-government interaction was published by the "Alpina PRO" publishing house. To purchase the book follow the
link.
The authors of the new book “Regulation of GR and Lobbying in Russia: Status Quo or the Search for New Solutions” are
Eduard Voytenko, PhD in Political Science, CEO of Baikal Communications Group, and
Anastasia Parfenchikova, PhD in Law, Partner at the company.
The book is dedicated to the issue of regulating GR and lobbying activities in Russia. The authors discuss the prerequisites, potential methods, and prospects for regulating the industry in the country. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential advantages and limitations of legal and ethical regulation of the sector.
The book will help readers to answer the following questions:
- Does Russian legislation provide a legal basis for private-public interaction?
- Is there a need for a special law on lobbying?
- What foreign examples of lobbying regulation are most effective?
- Should the professional community develop ethical standards for its work?
This is the second book dedicated to the pressing issues of interaction with government authorities from the team of Baikal Communications Group. The
first book, "Lobbying and GR: Concepts, Functions, Tools," discussed key concepts, principles, functions, tasks, and tools of GR and lobbying activities.
[post_title] => Baikal Communications Group has released a book on the regulation of GR and lobbying in Russia
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10.06.2015
Former director of GR at Mikhailov & Partners Eduard Voytenko announced the launch of a private integrated communications enterprise Baikal Communications Group, which is going to deal with a wide variety of issues, ranging from GR, Strategic and Political Communications to Business Consulting and Legal Expertise.
Read more…
