Kommersant (Moscow) - November 10, 2008

RBC's business conference Russia-Latin America: Strategic Partnership and Profitable Investment has just wrapped up in Chile and Argentina. It could very easily have failed, though, as halfway to the destination point, the plane carrying the delegates across the ocean ran out of fuel. Despite the unscheduled landing, however, the participants reached the shores of Latin America successfully. And there, apart from business networking, the Russian delegation had time to dispel the myth of the Chilean sea bass, write a letter to the Chilean president, walk into a cloud of yellow butterflies, do the tango, and even get suntanned.

The visit of the Russian delegation to Chile started under the unofficial motto: "Pessimists are searching for a bottom, while optimists are going to RBC's conference." Optimists, however, were fewer than usual. Many regular participants of RBC's conferences chose not to leave the homeland this time. Yet those who did make the attempt to cheat their fate were still caught by the crisis in a most unexpected way. Iberia's plane carrying the delegation ran out of kerosene while flying above the middle of Europe. Pessimists assured that the plane was going to "reach bottom," while optimists expected a "technical rebound." Fortunately, neither was the case, and the pilot landed the aircraft in Geneva to refuel.

However, mishaps seemed to actively pursue Russian delegates. For one, president of the Evrokompleks construction company Stepan Ananikian was deprived of a bottle of expensive French cognac during the customs check at the Madrid Airport. Optimists suggested that it be consumed right on the spot, though that never came to fruition. The last and the longest part of the flight, from Madrid to Santiago, was spent in painful guesswork about where the kerosene would give out this time - over the ocean or the Andes. Passengers resorted to various measures to rescue themselves from their depressive thoughts. President of the Russian Financial Corporation Andrei Nechayev drifted off to sleep like a baby. Chairman of the board of directors of Imperia Bank Ivan Kuleshov played preference and roared with laughter, while painter Nikas Safronov was absorbed in reading Larry King's How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere - ,a gift given out by RBC at its 15th anniversary celebration in September.

The journey to Santiago was pleasant. The only thing that saddened the arriving guests was the fact that RBC's General Director Yury Rovensky did not come to meet them at the entrance to the airport. Traditionally, ahead of all previous conferences, Rovensky has met his guests at the airport dressed up in national costumes of the host country. "He looked so gracious in his Japanese kimono, I am sure a poncho would have been just as becoming on him," lamented General Director of Russian Tea Company Andrei Popov. Organizers justified the absence of their leadership by urgent matters in Moscow.

The first national-style gala dinner was arranged in the Bali Hai restaurant. The highlight of the evening was an escapade by Chairperson of the Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova, who mounted the stage to dance a fiery dance surrounded by half-naked Indians.

Only Sergei Dankvert, the head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, remained serious. He spoke at length about phytosanitary control, while Chileans all gave polite nods. He concluded by urging everyone to deprive European intermediaries of their unfair revenue from agency operations between Chile and Russia, and suggested that the countries instead work together directly. Senator of Tuva Lyudmila Narusova quickly found her bearings and declared that Chilean strawberries and cherries should have stolen the leadership from their Turkish and Israeli rivals on the Russian market long ago.

"Where could we taste the Chilean sea bass? It is so popular in all Arkady Novikov's restaurants," said Narusova, turning the food topic in a practical direction. "You see," Chileans explained apologetically, "as a matter of fact, Chilean sea bass does not exist as such. In Chile, the fish is known as mero." Narusova showed no disappointment. On the contrary, she enquired what dishes she should try and where to find them. In general, Lyudmila Narusova demonstrated her skills not only as a gifted organizer, but as an agitator as well. During a tour to the Pacific Ocean to Valparaiso and Vina-del-Mar, she insisted on changing the itinerary. As a result, the delegation spent an extra half an hour on the cool Pacific Ocean beach. Everyone had a great chance to study spotted pelicans, while Stepan Ananikian went so far as to soak his invariable outfit in the waters of the Pacific Ocean - Adidas tennis shoes and a tracksuit.

The transfer from Santiago to Buenos Aires - the host of the second part of the conference - brought about a few losses. To begin with, President of the Association of Russian Banks Garegin Tosunyan completely disappeared: he missed the bus. While a taxi rushed Tosunyan to the airport, another 12 people got lost in duty free stores. The plane bound for Argentina took off without them. Fortunately, however, the group of late-comers, led by Andrei Nechayev, finally mounted the next plane and still managed to arrive in time to watch an equestrian show at a hippodrome.

While on the journey, Nechayev rendered another valuable service to Russian-Chilean relations. He edited a letter written by Nikas Safronov, who after finishing Larry King's book resolved to write a letter to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, offering her the opportunity to pose for him in an informal setting. Andrei Nechayev took out the phrase, "your remarkable temperament promoted the country's development," just to be on the safe side.

Despite numerous security concerns, of all the delegates, only chairman of the board of directors of Nezavisimy Stroitelny Bank Yury Petrov lost his expensive watch in the streets of Buenos Aires, while the rest sustained no losses whatsoever. The group of particularly inquisitive explorers of the region was headed by brand consultant of Russian Railways Anton Chichilimov. Accompanied by Director for Development of Avenue Realty Yevgeny Semionov, deputy general director of Shater Trading House Tatiana Skorokhodova, and General Director of the Republic agency Yana Kazakova, he reviewed the art collection of Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat, taught Yana Kazakova to dance the tango in the La Boca neighborhood haunted by tourists, and even had time to visit the Iguazu falls, where the group met a hamster and walked into a cloud of yellow butterflies.

After the plenary sessions, many reporters still had enough time to swim and get a suntan. Nechayev plowed the waters of the swimming pool with a butterfly stroke, telling stories about how he played water polo when he was young, and how the skills he developed had helped him. Lyudmila Narusova also enjoyed her time at the side of the swimming pool. General Director of the Moscow International Business Association Alexander Borisov was busy catching the last rays of the setting sun by standing upright on a sun lounger. Onlookers from among the Russian delegates were convinced that he actually resembled a Chilean native - a Mapuche Indian - performing a mysterious rite.