Saxony Days to Be Held in Bashkiria in 2005

Bashkiria will host the Days of the Free State of Saxony in 2005. According to Rosbalt's correspondent, an agreement to this effect was reached during a recent visit to Saxony by a Bashkirian delegation headed by Prime Minister Rafael Baidavletov.

The visit to Saxony was made to mark the 10th anniversary of cooperation between the two regions. According to the Bashkirian administration's press office, the two sides signed an intergovernmental protocol on prolonging cooperation and a number of contracts. Provisional agreements were reached on setting up joint production by the Kuster firm and the Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant, on Bosch supplying fibre-optic cable links to Bashinformsvyaz, and Gerischer and Schroeder supplying timber processing equipment to Bashlesprom for around EUR 3 million.

A joint declaration by the governments of Bashkiria and Saxony on trade, economic, social and cultural ties and a financial protocol were signed on June 12, 1992. In 1993 and 1996 the government of Saxony gave Bashkiria two loans worth 190 million deutschmarks (EUR 97 million) for a range of large-scale projects, including supplying equipment to leading local companies. In 2001 close economic ties were established between Leipzig and Ufa.

In June 2001 the Saxony Days were held in the Bashkirian capital. In June 2002 a parliamentary delegation from Saxony came to Bashkiria on an official visit. Germany is currently the largest investor in Bashkiria's economy, accounting for 30% of total investment in the republic. In 2002, this amounted to USD 255 million.