April 2018 ERC/18/INF/1 E FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE Thirty-first Session Voronezh, Russian Federation, 16-18 May 2018 Information Note A. Conference Arrangements 1. The 31st Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC) will be held at the Hotel Marriott in Voronezh, Russian Federation, from 16 to 18 May 2018. 2. An Order of the Day with detailed information on conference business, the schedule and items to be discussed, as well as other information of general interest, will be made available on the Regional Conference website. 3. The name and functions of the ERC Conference Secretariat members and other staff assisting the conference will be provided upon arrival at the ERC venue. B. Working languages 4. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French, Russian and Spanish and meeting documentation will be available in the same languages. C. Media accreditation, public information 5. For the duration of the conference, the FAO Senior Communication Officer for Europe and Central Asia, in cooperation with a Press Officer of the Government of the Russian Federation, will be responsible for media relations and public information. 6. Media accreditation/registration should be requested online by clicking here, or by following the link found on the Regional Conference website. As part of the accreditation / registration process, a letter of assignment from the journalist s editor or employer should be uploaded. Accreditation and registration of journalists will not be possible at the conference venue. This document can be accessed using the Quick Response Code on this page; an FAO initiative to minimize its environmental impact and promote greener communications. Other documents can be consulted at www.fao.org MW165
ERC/18/INF/1 2 D. Documentation 7. All pre-session documents are accessible on the Regional Conference website. In an effort to achieve a paperless conference, printed copies of pre-session documents can be provided on the spot, but only upon request and in limited quantities. In addition, participants will receive documents in electronic format on pen drives when registering. Participants are encouraged to carry personal laptops in order to access documents online and thus reduce the need for hard copies. Complimentary Wi-Fi service will be available at the conference venue. 8. In-session documents are grouped into three categories: LIM documents, statements and daily journals (Order of the Day), and will be published on the Regional Conference website and distributed at the Documents Desk located in front of the conference hall, where staff will also deliver mail and messages and deal with general enquiries. E. Draft recommendations and amendments 9. Participants wishing to submit draft recommendations or other documents requiring a decision by the conference are requested to send their texts to the Conference Secretary in either English, French, Spanish or Russian by e-mail (erc-eca-secretariat@fao.org), and if possible in five printed copies. 10. Participants wishing to distribute other written material related to the conference agenda are requested to deliver 100 copies in English, 50 in French, 40 in Russian and 20 in Spanish to the secretariat for distribution. F. Advance communication of the texts of speeches and statements 11. To facilitate the secretariat's task and ensure accuracy of interpretation, prepared speeches and statements should be sent to the Conference Secretary in advance of delivery by e-mail to ERC-ECA- Secretariat@fao.org. Delegates are also requested to provide their speeches as delivered, to facilitate media coverage. G. Registration 12. All conference participants are requested to register online following the link provided on the Regional Conference website. 13. On-site check-in for the 31st Session of the ERC will be continuously possible from 15 May 2018 at the registration desks in the Voronezh Marriott Hotel. 14. The Conference Secretariat will prepare a provisional list of participants on the first day of the conference and should be notified of any corrections or additions. H. Hotel accommodation and catering 15. A list of hotels where rooms can be reserved at special rates during the conference period is provided in Annex A to this Information Note. After completing the online registration on the Regional Conference website, participants will receive additional information on the hotel booking formalities. I. Local Transportation 16. Transfers will be provided to all delegates upon arrival to, and departure from Voronezh between the airport and the hotels in Annex A, and between the hotels and the inaugural ceremony, and reception dinner. Contact mobile phone for transportation issues: +7-915-1242014.
ERC/18/INF/1 3 J. Catering Services 17. Catering services (lunch and coffee breaks), offered by the Government of the Russian Federation, will be provided throughout the conference period. K. Formalities for entry into the Russian Federation 18. All representatives and observers who attend the 31st Session of the ERC are required to hold a valid travel document recognized by the Russian Federation (regular, service or diplomatic passport, United Nations laissez-passer, etc.). The expiration date of that document should be at least six months after the date of expiry of the entry visa to the Russian Federation (if applicable). 19. Depending on their citizenship, ERC participants may need to obtain an entry visa to the Russian Federation (for additional information see Annex B). 20. Those participants who need visas are advised to contact the consular authorities of the Russian Federation in their respective countries/cities well in advance, at least two weeks prior to their departure, in order to allow sufficient time for the processing of the visa application. 21. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has instructed its embassies and consular authorities abroad to issue visas to the participants of the 31st Session of the ERC who provide the following documents: the FAO official third-person invitation letter; the official accreditation letter from the national government body or invited organizations/institutions nominating the designated representative to this event; the standard set of documents necessary for visa application (see Annex B). 22. Please note that a Russian visa CAN NOT be obtained at the airport or other border crossing points upon arrival in the Russian Federation. 23. Additional information regarding visa application is available on the relevant websites of the Embassies and Consulates of the Russian Federation in the country in which the application will be made. The complete list of the Russian diplomatic and consular missions abroad can be found at: www.mid.ru/en/maps.visa information may be subject to change, therefore it is advisable to contact the nearest Russian Embassy/Consulate for an update. L. Director-General's Working Meeting with Heads of Delegations 24. The FAO Director-General will have a working meeting with Ministers and Heads of Delegations on Wednesday, 16 May 2018, from 17.30 hours. M. Side events 25. During the conference week a number of side events will take place. A schedule and details on the side events can be found on the Regional Conference website. N. Field visit and spouse programme 26. The Host Government invites all participants to attend a field visit on the morning of Friday, 18 May 2018. Participants wishing to take part are requested to inform staff at the registration desk not later than 17.00 hours on Wednesday, 16 May 2018, so that the Host Government can make the necessary arrangements. More details will be made available upon arrival and relevant information will be included in the Order of the Day. More details on the study tour will be provided on the Regional Conference website in due course.
ERC/18/INF/1 4 27. The Host Government will also be organizing a programme for delegates' spouses. More information on this programme will be provided on-site. O. Social events 28. An evening reception for ERC participants on Wednesday, 16 May 2018 is planned to be hosted by His Excellency the Minister for Agriculture of the Russian Federation. P. Foreign exchange and banking 29. Information on the Russian Federation customs regulations can be found at http://eng.customs.ru/. The Russian currency is the ruble and its abbreviation is RUB. 30. Foreign currencies may be exchanged at banks or authorized exchange offices. International airports and larger hotels also offer currency exchange services. Exchange rates offered by the exchange offices at the airport are significantly lower than the official rates. The indicative exchange rates for foreign currencies, valid on 10 April 2018 according to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (www.cbr.ru/eng) are: one USD = 58.5714 RUB one EUR = 71.8847 RUB 31. ATM machines are available at the main banks, airports, shopping centres and at the conference facilities. Major credit cards including MasterCard and Visa are accepted at large hotels, car rental companies and stores in the main cities. Q. Medical services and first aid 32. Medical and first aid services will be available on the conference premises. R. Weather and time 33. The normal daily temperature in Voronezh in May is about 15 degrees Celsius. Voronezh is in the MSK Moscow Standard Time (UTC/GMT +03:00). S. Electricity 34. The Russian Federation s electrical current is 220 V. Sockets take standard continental European dual round-pronged plugs. A plug adaptor is required for non-european appliances. T. Communications 35. Internet, telephone and fax facilities will be available on the conference premises. An international direct dialling service is available throughout the Russian Federation. Dialling rules: Dialling within Voronezh: 8+473+telephone #. International dialling from the Russian Federation: 00+country code+area code+telephone # U. Correspondence and inquiries 36. All correspondence concerning the Regional Conference for Europe should be addressed to the Conference Secretariat at the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and to the Government Liaison Officer in the Russian Federation, at the addresses below:
ERC/18/INF/1 5 Ms Yuriko Shoji ERC Secretary FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Tel: +36 1 4612010 E-mail: ERC-ECA-Secretariat@fao.org Mr Aghasi Harutyunyan Conference Affairs Officer FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation Tel: +7 495 7872114 Mobil: +7 985 0555809 E-mail: ERC-ECA-Secretariat@fao.org Mr Maxim Markovich Government Liaison Officer Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Tel: +7-495-6085863 E-mail: m.markovich@mcx.ru Ms Ekaterina Vintovkina Alternate Government Liaison Officer Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Tel: +7-499-9751604 E-mail: vintovkina.ekaterina@mail.ru Mr Goran Stavrik ERC Assistant Secretary/Overall Coordination FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Tel: +36 1 4612010 Mobil: +36 30 4732187 E-mail: ERC-ECA-Secretariat@fao.org Ms Zsofia Horvath Conference Assistant FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Tel: +36 (1) 8141 283 E-mail: ERC-ECA-Secretariat@fao.org
ERC/18/INF/1 6 ACCOMMODATION ANNEX A Name and address of Hotels Room category Price including breakfast and VAT (RUB/night) single/double Voronezh Marriott Hotel - ERC Venue - 1.2 km from the Government building - www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/vozmcvoronezh-marriott/ - www.marriott.com.ru Degas Hotel (4*) - 400 m from ERC venue - 1.2 km from the Government building - www.degas-hotel.ru Mercure Hotel (4*) - 1.6 km from ERC venue - 400 m from the Government building - www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9394- mercure-voronezh-centre/index.shtml The above special fixed prices comprise all taxes and fees. Deluxe 5500/6500 Upgraded corner 7000/8000 Semi-luxe 9500/10500 Apartments building 1 9500/10500 Premium Luxe 12000/13000 Standard (one double bed) 3900/4300 Standard (two single beds) 3900/4300 Junior Suite 4800/5200 Apartments 8000/8400 Standard 3300/4000 Privilege 4300/5000 Luxe 6300/7000 Participants will be able to book their rooms directly with the hotels as per the booking procedure that will be provided by e-mail after registering for the ERC. More details on the cancellation policy and booking procedure will be provided to the registered participants.
ERC/18/INF/1 7 GENERAL INFORMATION ON REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING RUSSIAN VISAS ANNEX B 1. The information below on the requirements for obtaining an entry visa to the Russian Federation is specifically aimed at the participants of the 31st session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC) in Voronezh, the Russian Federation, on 16-18 May 2018. 2. Citizens of foreign states normally need a visa to enter the territory of the Russian Federation. That rule does not apply to the citizens of the countries that concluded intergovernmental agreements with the Russian Federation providing for non-visa entry to the Russian territory. 3. In case a Russian visa is needed, the applicant should contact the relevant consular institution of the Russian Federation abroad. 4. The following documents should be submitted when applying for a Russian visa: A) Official FAO third-person invitation letter; B) Official accreditation letter from the national government body or invited organizations/institutions nominating the designated representative to this event; C) Valid original passport (regular, service, diplomatic, etc.) 1 that: (i) should not raise doubts as to its authenticity and ownership; (ii) should not bear notes, corrections or deletions that are not certified by the competent authorities of the issuing foreign state; (iii) should not have pages that are torn out or disconnected; (iv) should have at least two free pages for a visa and border control stamps; (v) should be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of the visa. D) Visa application form, duly filled in, printed and signed that: can be completed here: https://visa.kdmid.ru/ should be accompanied by an attached photograph (color or black-and-white, full-face, recently taken, dimensions: 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) E) Medical insurance policy valid on the territory of the Russian Federation. 5. Please bear in mind that in most countries visa applications are to be submitted to the official Russian Visa Centres. Submission of documents directly to the Russian Embassies/Consulates can be made only by previous electronic appointment. Additional information is available on the websites of the corresponding Russian Embassy/Consulate abroad: www.mid.ru/en/maps. 6. Depending on the decision by the Russian authorities, visas for the participants may be granted free of charge. 1 When applying for a Russian visa with a United Nations Laissez-Passer it is necessary to present also an original or a copy of the national passport of the applicant.
ERC/18/INF/1 8 7. Below is the indicative information on the modalities of entry of the FAO Member States' citizens from Europe and Central Asia into the Russian Federation 2. Please note that the following list may not be complete or may not contain full or duly updated information, therefore it is strongly recommended that participants contact the local Russian Embassy/Consulate abroad for further details: www.mid.ru/en/maps. Country Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Entry Modalities Visas are required for all passport categories. All passport categories without a visa for up to 90 days. All passport categories without a visa for up to 90 days. All passport categories (including internal passports) without a visa. Regular passports without a visa for 30 days within a 60 day period. Alien s passports (issued for non-citizens of Estonia) without a visa for 90 days within a 180 day period. Visas are required for all passport categories. 2 The present list does not take into account modalities of entry for marine and inland vessel or aircraft crew members, transit passengers and a number of other cases not applicable for the ERC participants.
ERC/18/INF/1 9 Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Moldova Romania San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Visas are required for all passport categories. Regular passports without a visa for up to 90 days. All passport categories (including internal passports) without a visa. All passport categories (including internal passports) without a visa. Alien s passports (issued for non-citizens of Latvia) without a visa for 90 days within a 180 day period. Regular passports without a visa for up to 30 days. All passport categories without a visa. Visas are required for all passport categories. Regular biometric passports without a visa for up to 30 days.
ERC/18/INF/1 10 Spain Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine United Kingdom Uzbekistan All passport categories without a visa. Without a visa: (i) for up to 90 days in presence of an original invitation put down according to the Russian legislation; (ii) for up to 30 days in presence of an original tourist voucher and a confirmation of foreign tourist reception. Diplomatic and service passports without a visa for up to 30 days. All passport categories (including internal passports) without a visa for up to 90 days. Visas are required for all passport categories. All passport categories without a visa.