Vladimir I. Yakunin, president of "Russian Railways" will deliver a speech covering three main topics in the context of his company: economic science, market awareness and development.

Complex and integrated nature of a market economy makes it crucial for firms to understand fundamental economic principles in order to identify key trends and forecast future developments within the economy. Russian Railways, being one of the largest transport companies in the world, understands its strategic role in the national economy as it provides the infrastructure for other fundamental industries, fosters communication and stimulates demand in the economy. Mr Yakunin will also touch upon the strategic programme of development of the company until 2030.

Vladimir Yakunin was appointed president of Russian Railways by the Government of the Russian Federation in June 2005 following the appointment of the Company's previous president, Gennady Fadeyev, as an advisor to Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov.

Born in 1948, Yakunin graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Mechanics as a Mechanical Engineer in 1972 and began his career as a junior research scientist at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry. After completing military service in the Soviet Army, he worked as an engineer and senior engineer at the Administration of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Foreign Trade and was also head of department at the A. F. Yoffe Physics and Technical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Between 1985 and 1991, Yakunin was Second and then First Secretary of the USSR's Permanent Representative Office at the United Nations. He was then Chairman of the Board at the International Centre for Business Cooperation before becoming head of the North-Western Federal District Inspectorate of the Senior Control Department of the President of the Russian Federation.

Yakunin became Deputy Minister of Transport in October 2000 and first Deputy Minister of Railways in February 2002. In October 2003, the Board of Russian Railways unanimously appointed Yakunin First Vice-President of the Company.

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