Northwest Russia: Facts and Events Newsletter by the Stockholm Region Office in St. Petersburg Issue 110, January 2009

Strengthening international cooperation in the Northern Europe

Official representatives of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the North-West Federal District are participating in the project «International cooperation in the Northern Europe, 2008» of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ programme of «Exchange of civil servants». The overall objective of this exchange programme is to promote and strengthen cooperation in the Nordic region and neighbouring countries by developing competencies and establishing contacts between the Nordic countries and North West Russia. Such an initiative could contribute to enhancement of awareness on Russian-Nordic cooperation in the international network institutions.

The programme of the visits is rather intensive and includes various thematic meetings focusing on:

• promotion of conditions for economic cooperation and trade, including legislative partnership, anti-corruption measures and protection of intellectual property rights and patents, tourism and creative industries;

• cooperation within the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the NorthernDimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-Being (NDPHS);

• promotion of democracy and civil society through cooperation on local government levels and good governance, cooperation between media and journalists as well as non-governmental organisations cooperation;

• promotion of smooth cooperation in cross-border areas.

As the part of the project one group visited Finland and Norway on 16-20 November.

Other three Nordic countries were visited from 7 till 14 December where the group had a chance to familiarise with Nordic organisations and institutions. In Stockholm the meetings took place in the Parliament of Sweden, at the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat (CBSS) and Northern Dimension Partnership for Public Health and Social Well-Being Secretariat (NDPHS), Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Nordic Centre for Spatial Development (Nordregio), with the Governor of Stockholm County as well as business companies working with Russia (Zarya Partners) and others.

In Reykjavik the delegation met the Russian Ambassador in Iceland, had a presentation of the programme for the Icelandic Presidency in the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2009 visiting the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation at the Prime-Ministers’ office, visited Ministry for social affairs and social security, Ministry for education, science and culture, Nordic House in Reykjavik and some non-governmental organisations.

In Copenhagen the Russian delegation met Mr. Halldуr Бsgrнmsson, Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Secretariat, also visited Цresund Committee, Baltic Development Forum, Grontmij Carl Bro company, which promotes concept of corporate social responsibility and other organisations.

Source: Elena Golubeva, Deputy Director / Acting Director by 31.01.2009, Nordic Council of Ministers Information office in Saint

Petersburg, e-mail: eg@norden.ru, http://www.norden.ru

________________________________________

Cooperation between Russian and Finnish leading innovation organisations

The agreement on nanotechnologies cooperation has been signed by Group of Finnish Innovation Organisations and The Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey” on December 15, 2008.

The main objective of this agreement is reinforcement of cooperation between Russian and Finnish leading innovation organisations. From Finnish side this document was signed by Mr. Igor Kuprienko, director of Finnish-Russian Innovation Centre, Mr. Timo Koponen, Finnode Russia, Mrs. Elisaveta Iljina, Finpro. From St. Petersburg side – by Mr. Pavel Kuznetsov, deputy of director general on scientific work and nanotechnologies of CRISM “Prometey”.

According to this Agreement, Finnish-Russian innovation centres will assist to St. Petersburg projects in nanotechnologies field for the purpose of their participation in EU Framework Programmes – preparation and realisation of research&development works under the 7th Framework Programme, TACIS and trans-border cooperation.

The important point of this cooperation is mutual work on promotion of innovation activity experience in Finland and Russia. In 2009 we are planning to start the realisation of Prometey’s projects in EU with support of Finnish companies “Finnvera” and “TEKES” and international seminar on nanotechnologies in Finland.

Contact person: Igor Kuprienko, Finnish-Russian Innovation Centre, e-mail: igor.kuprienko@finrusinno.ru

Northwest Russia: Facts and Events, Issue 110, January 2009

________________________________________

The Second St. Petersburg International Workshop 2009

On 27 January the Second St. Petersburg International Workshop will be held at Holiday Club St. Petersburg hotel. The event is organized by the Northwest Division of the Russian Union of Travel Industry and Association of the National Tourist Offices Representatives in Russia (ANTOR).

The Object of workshop is to introduce new possibilities of international tourism to the Russian market and create conditions for making contacts with international partners.

Among the participants of workshop are national and regional visitors boards, international hotel chains, international and Russian tour operators, congress bureaus and centers, transport companies, consulting and insurance companies, tourist media and others.

Futher information on event and its participants, and also the application form for participation on:

http://www.rata.spb.ru/rspti/workshop-e.html, tel.: +7 (812) 325 11 44, +7 (812) 325 22 40

Contact person: Janna Seliverstova, Russian Union of Travel Industry, Northwest Division Office, e-mail: forum@rata.spb.ru.

Photo: www.interpress.ru

The archive of the newsletters can be found at http://www.stockholmregion.org/website1/sd_page/16/1/index.php

STOCKHOLM REGION OFFICE in ST PETERSBURG

Visiting address: Nevsky 1, St. Petersburg Postal address: BOX 1005, 190000, St. Petersburg tel.: +7-812-314 68 18, fax: +7-812-314 68 53

e-mail: stockholm.office@stockholm.spb.ru

________________________________________

STOCKHOLM REGION OFFICE in ST PETERSBURG

Visiting address: Nevsky 1, St. Petersburg

Postal address: BOX 1005, 190000, St. Petersburg

tel.: +7-812-314 68 18, fax: +7-812-314 68 53

e-mail: stockholm.office@stockholm.spb.ru