OREANDA-NEWS. Cross-border cooperation between Karelia and Finland within international programs will continue within the scope of a new cross-border cooperation program between the Russian Federation and European Union in 2014-2020.

The conference with subject matter specialists from Finland was held in the the Committee of the Republic of Karelia for Tourism in order to discuss opportunities of the future program resource management for the purposes of the branch development.

Our republic was represented by Ministry of Economic Development, the State Committee for Tourism, Information Tourist Center of Karelia. Among the Finnish partners there were the Region of North Karelia, Karelia Expert Tourist Service Ltd., Youth Tourism and Leisure Center and Center for Small and Medium Business Development in Kitee.

Results of cooperation within the current ENPI Program were discussed during the meeting. The parties have discussed results of joint participation in international exhibitions, creation of corporate tourist products, cooperation in informational development of the branch and promotion of new brands.

In the unanimous opinion of the conference participants, the common work was recognized successful and fruitful. A network of information tourist centers was established, a new tourist product located on both sides of the border has appeared. There had been developed a new Visitkarelia brand presented successfully at the international exhibition Matka-2014 in Helsinki, etc.

Valery Kiryanov, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for Tourism, has emphasized that Karelia has gained experience of many years of successful cooperation within the scope of international programs, as in the past 20 years more than 100 project were implemented in the sphere of tourism alone. "We've found the way of cooperation when both participating parties benefit from results of implementation of policy measures," - Valery Kiryanov observed having proposed to keep developing cooperation according to the tried and true approach.

Experts from Karelia Expert Tourist Service Ltd. have told that the ENPI program has enabled polling of more than 300 travel agencies in Europe. The information is obtained on the places in Karelia and Finland of interest to European tourists, on tourist products the agencies are expecting and ready to promote in their countries. The information will be processed by the end of March and results will be forwarded to Russian colleagues. It may form a basis for further joint projects.

Dmitry Kislov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Karelia, has pointed out that high priority in the new cross-border cooperation program is put on projects corresponding to long range planning working directives of territorial development. Tourism is among priority spheres of development of the Republic of Karelia, therefore chances are high that international projects related to development of tourism in border regions will gain support.

Valery Kiryanov has told that the State Committee for Tourism has already prepared offers on development of tourism and related branches in border regions of Karelia. These offers and counter-proposals of Finnish partners will be analysed in the course of further work within the scope of international cooperation.