The official meeting between Governor Anton Alikhanov and Extraordinary and Authorized ambassador of France in Russia Sylvie Bermann took place in the regional government on Thursday, April 4.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister - Head of the Agency for International and Interregional Relations of the Kaliningrad Region Alla Ivanova, Head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Andrei Yermak, General Director of the Regional Development Corporation Andrei Tolmachyov and others. The parties discussed issues of cooperation in the field of economy, tourism, education and culture.
“Currently, the government is working hard to attract investors to the region”, said the head of the region. - We have platforms on which they can place production. Investors receive administrative and financial support for their projects in the form of tax privileges and customs preferences. I express the hope that the French Embassy will convey our desire for business cooperation to representatives of French business and potential investors”.
Anton Alikhanov also noted that negotiations on cooperation with the Renault company are underway. “Public electric vehicles and electric car projects are being discussed. Renault-Nissan company has been present on the territory of Russia for a long time, and our region could become a platform for the development of such a partnership”, the governor emphasized.
The diplomat thanked the representatives of the regional government for the organized meeting and noted that this was her first visit to Kaliningrad. “Your Special Economic Zone is of great interest to us”, noted Sylvie Bermann. - I also plan to meet with students of Kaliningrad, who are learning French. Some students come to study in France - we welcome that”.
Besides, issues related to the development of cultural and historical tourism were discussed. The ambassador stressed that there are many common interests in this direction. “People are more and more interested in places where you can remember historical facts. There are a lot of interesting locations in your region for France that are associated with the Napoleonic wars. I see that there is great potential for cooperation here”, Sylvie Bermann summed up the meeting.