The Kazan International Investment Forum 2009 was once again a great success. Co-hosted with the Government of Tatarstan, the proceedings were opened by First Deputy Prime Minister, Ravil Muratov, who was joined on stage by Minister of Economy, Marat Safiullin, and the Chief Executive of Schneider Electric, Jean Pascal Tricoire. Following the keynote speakers, panels debated the challenges facing Tatarstan as a prosperous emerging market in the new economic environment that has emerged following the world financial crisis. The future prospects and investment potential of the key industry sectors of the region were assessed by local leaders and foreign companies and investors, including the Automotive, Agro-Industrial, Finance and Banking and Hydrocarbons and Petrochemicals industries. The conference also hosted the launch of the World Bank's Doing Business 2009 annual report which concluded that Kazan was the best Russian city for business and investment in 2009, a ringing endorsement for the Tatarstan region and its Government's policy agenda.
We would like to thank all our speakers for their contribution to the event. In particular, we thank the Ministry of Economy for their cooperation and support for this important Forum, and we look forward to working with them again to make it a landmark annual event in the unique city of Kazan.