OREANDA-NEWS. On 06 August 2009 was announced, that integrating the Vologda Oblast with the rest of the world through commerce and expanded foreign investment has been a high priority of the Vologda Oblast Government over the recent years. Being a reliable partner for long-term mutual collaboration the region attracts attention of the world official and business circles.

The modern history of partnership relations of the Vologda Oblast with the foreign countries spans many years. The oblast has concluded treaties on collaboration with Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplen (Hungary), Prešov (Slovakia), Oulu and Lapland (Finland), Jämtland and Västmanland (Sweden), Styria (Austria), Telemark (Norway), Moravian-Silesian Region (Moravskoslezsky kraj) of the Czech Republic, and the Chinese province Jilin. They are about partnership and sustainability. The implementation of these agreements and protocols is already underway.

Our foreign partners:

Oulu (Finland), Lapland (Finland), Jämtland (Sweden), Västmanland (Sweden), Telemark (Norway), Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén (Hungary), Prešov (Slovakia), Styria (Austria), Moravia-Silesia (Czech Republic), Jilin (China).

A whole system of international events that promote goods and services manufactured in the Vologda Oblast to the foreign market emerged - participation in the international exhibitions (in Graz and Berlin), Days of the Vologda Oblast in European states, Days of the Austrian, Bulgarian, Italian and Finnish business in Vologda, business seminars and presentations of investment projects both in Vologda and abroad. In addition, such events give serious support to Russian producers, helping to develop national enterprises.

Collaboration with the international funds in a whole series of realms is defined as an important activity for the government bodies of the Vologda Oblast. A number of investment projects sponsored by the international funds is carried out in the Oblast. They are focused on economic and social sectors, tourism, education, ecology and culture. Non-profit organizations of the Vologda Oblast cooperate with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and other grant makers.

A group of Russian ambassadors to foreign states visited the Vologda Oblast from July 17 through 20, 2008.

The visit was organized by the Vologda Oblast Government with an active backing of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It aimed at boosting international and foreign economic ties of the region and creating a positive image of the oblast in the world arena.

The participants of the delegation were ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the European, African, and Asian countries, countries of Latin America and other high-ranking officials of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visiting diplomats had meetings with the top leadership of the oblast and municipalities of Vologda, Cherepovets, Veliky Ustyug and Kirillov. They got acquainted with the cultural and economic potential of the Vologda area, paid visits to the leading enterprises and cultural institutions of the Vologda Oblast.

On September 19-20, 2008 Vologda Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Pozgalyov visited Sukhum at the invitation of Abkhazia's President Sergey Bagapsh. The emphasis of the visit was on future collaboration of the Vologda Oblast and Abkhazia in such areas as wood processing, food industry, education, culture and tourism. The visit wound up with signing of a Memorandum on cooperation.

A delegation of Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in St.Petersburg led by Consul General Mehmet Çinar came to the Vologda Oblast on October 20th, 2008 on a three-day duration visit.

The visit was initiated by the Turkish Consulate General as part of a tour of Mehmet Çinar through some of the regions of Russia's North-West. The tour was rather intense. The visiting Consul General had a meeting with Vyacheslav Pozgalyov, Governor of the Vologda Oblast aiming to define guidelines for future partnership links in glass industry, namely development of Rusjam Pokrovsky glass-works which is now owned by Anadolu Cam Sanayii A.S., Turkey. The parties agreed upon Turkey's participation in an international exposition of lacework in the Vologda Lace museum and a ceremony of its official opening. In the course of the visit the Turkish high-ranking officials met head of the Vologda Chamber of Commerce and Industry Galina Telegina, representatives of tourist agencies and top leadership of Vologda Bearing factory.

Ded Moroz, Russia's equivalent of Santa Claus, who lives in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Oblast, made a traditional pre-New Year trip from December 14 through 24, 2008.

The miracle maker visited Cape Town, South African Republic where he met representatives of the RF Consulate General, inmates of children's homes and visited some social institutions. Then he headed for Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to meet German Santa, Weihnachtsmann. Ded Moroz was also welcomed by Russian and Indian polar explorers in Antarctica; he met American scientists there and representatives of an international skiing expedition.

Just before the Christmas holidays Ded Moroz came to Latvia congratulating people on the New Year's Eve, and eventually arrived in Moscow.

On December 25-26th, 2008 mayor of Strasbourg Ronald Ries and his spouse made a private tour to Vologda. The French guests saw the sights of the Vologda Oblast and its capital - Vologda and got acquainted with its tourism possibilities.

Mr. Ries met Vologda's mayor Yevgeny Shulepov and in full discussed cooperation between Strasbourg and Vologda in the sphere of culture and education. The parties consented to establish direct partnership ties between the Strasbourg University and Vologda's universities and institutes, to set up a French cultural and educational centre in Vologda, agreed upon participation of Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the exhibition activities at international fairs "Russian Wood" and "Russian Flax". There were discussed questions concerning participation of Vologda's enterprises in the Christmas Fair held in Strasbourg.

Danish ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Russia Per Carlsen visited the Vologda Oblast from March 11 through 13, 2009.

The main objective of the visit was to partake in a conference under the heading "Strategy of Development of Kirillov District. Experience. Problems. Prospects". The conference was arranged as part of the ongoing Russian-Danish project pertaining to development of local self-government that is being implemented in the District of Kirillov.

The idea to launch this project aroused in October 2005 during the visit of a delegation from the Vologda Oblast headed by Governor Mr.Pozgalyov to Denmark. The Russian Embassy in Denmark gave a positive assessment of the work of the Vologda Oblast in the municipal service reform and made a suggestion to include the Vologda Region into a joint pilot project alongside with other Russian regions - the Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Pskov Oblasts, the Krasnodar Region and St.Petersburg.

The project is financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is implemented with an active backing of COWI (Denmark), an international consulting company and SIPU International, a Swedish consultancy and training organisation specialising in public service development and reform.

In July 2009 the top leadership of the Kirillov District presented results of two-years work carried out within the framework of the project, that were approved by COWI experts and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vologda hosted a delegation of the International Women's Forum on February 1-2, 2009.

Among the key members of the delegation were Esther Silver-Parker, IWF President, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Susan Sprunk, Principal of Artistry of Poland, Sandra Stash, Vice President - HSE of Talisman Energy, Carol Cox Wait, President of Boggs Atkinson Inc. and others (47 women all in all).

The International Women's Forum is advancing women's leadership across careers, cultures and continents by connecting the world's most preeminent women of significant and diverse achievement. Through this global organization, IWF members come together across national and international boundaries to share knowledge and ideas, to enrich each other's lives, to provide a network of support and to exert influence.

The program of the visit included a meeting with Vologda Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Pozgalyov, a tour of the Vologda Kremlin, a presentation of Vologda lacework and production of Northern Niello. The delegation of the IWF visited Ded Moroz' residence in Veliky Ustyug and in full discussed a project "Veliky Ustyug-Homeland of Ded Moroz". The guests gave a positive assessment of the project and suggested that Veliky Ustyug should be turned into Russia's children's capital.

A delegation of US Consulate General in St. Petersburg led by Sheila S. Gwaltney, Consul General of the United States of America arrived in Vologda Oblast on February 25, 2009.

On a visit to Vologda, the officers of the Consulate General attended the Russian Flax, an international exhibition for innovation technologies to be applied in the linen industry and manufacture of flax fibre, met the top leadership of the local government, head of Cherepovets and business circles of the region.

British Consul General to St. Petersburg William Elliott came to the Vologda Oblast on a two-day duration visit on March 2, 2009.

Mr. Elliott met Vologda Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Pozgalyov and Vologda's businessmen, visited the Vologda Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The program also included a visit to Cherepovets, meetings with the city's mayor Oleg Kuvshinnikov, top leadership of OAO Severstal, the nation's second-largest steel company by tonnage, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the small- and middle-sized businesses and non-profit organizations.

A delegation of the Polish Consulate General in St.Petersburg led by Consul General Jaroslaw Drozd came to Vologda on an official visit on March 18, 2009.

The visiting consul general met top leadership of the Vologda Oblast Government and the city's administration, got acquainted with the economic and cultural potential of the region and defined guidelines for future partnership ties between the Republic of Poland and Vologda Oblast.

Russia is an enormous market of the future, and the Vologda Oblast is its inalienable and promising component.

Vologda's intensive cooperation with foreign counterparts will make a significant contribution to the economic development of the region, create a favourable investment climate and expand markets for staple products.

The following guidelines are indicated as a high priority for deeper partnership cooperation with foreign states:

Realization of rights of the Vologda Oblast as a RF subject, enhancing its prestige on the international scene

Promotion of staple products to foreign markets and finding new foreign partners for further joint commercial and industrial activity

Expansion of direct partnership links with foreign states within the framework of treaties on trade, economic and cultural cooperation

Infrastructure development (centres of business collaboration, banks, funds, business-incubators and technoparks)

Membership of the Vologda Oblast in international organizations

Making the region more attractive by creating a modern system of services, tourism, and implementing cultural programmes

Carrying out international events, exhibitions, conferences, festivals, competitions and seminars on the territory of the Vologda Oblast.