Czech Delegation Arrives in Sverdlovsk to Initiate Greater Cooperation with Urals Region

An exhibition of Czech products will take place in the Sverdlovsk Region in September 2003. This was announced by Deputy Czech Trade and Industry Minister Vaclav Petricek at a meeting with Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Eduard Rossel today. The Czech delegation, led by Mr Petricek, arrived in the Urals yesterday on an official visit.

As a Rosbalt correspondent was informed by the governor's press office, the meeting was also attended by Czech Ambassador to Russia Jaroslav Basta, Czech Consul in Yekaterinburg Pyotr Sinkul, Head of the Trade and Economic Department of the Czech Embassy in Moscow Vladimir Remek, who 25 years ago became the first-ever astronaut from Czechoslovakia and completed a flight in space on the space shuttle Soyuz-28.

It was said at the meeting that relations between the Czech Republic and the Sverdlovsk Region began to develop after the Czech consulate opened in Yekaterinburg. Czech company Alta has signed a deal with Uralmash to supply equipment and modern machinery. A Czech bank has granted a loan of USD 2.5 million to finance this deal. Mr Rossel proposed looking at other prospects for joint projects. In his turn, Mr Petricek expressed his satisfaction at the development of ties, emphasizing the Czech Republic's desire to expand its sphere of activity in the Russian regions.

In 2002 trade turnover between the Sverdlovsk Region and the Czech Republic totaled USD 11 million.