Rustem Khamitov delivered a speech at the 4th Russian-Kyrgyz Inter-Regional Conference

UFA, 22 September 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Iliya Spiridonov/. On September 22, in Bishkek the Head of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov delivered a speech at the plenary session of the 4th Russian-Kyrgyz Inter-Regional Conference "Eurasian Economic Union. New Prospects For Interregional Cooperation".

The Head of the Republic presented the economic and investment potential of the region noting that Bashkortostan was one of the leading industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centres of the Russian Federation.

“Last year, trade with our partners reached nearly 14 billion dollars, of which 93% - were exports from the Republic of Bashkortostan. But very little accounts for Kyrgyzstan in this volume - about $ 150 million, it is slightly more than one percent. A substantial part of this is Bashkir export”, Rustem Khamitov said. “Of course, we need to diversify our relations. In addition to the oil industry we need to involve engineering, biotechnology, information technology sector, logistics, tourism, agriculture, food processing, education and culture.”

According to the Head of Bashkortostan, active work in this direction has already started. Now there is an active exchange of official and business delegations.

The Head of Bashkortostan thinks that the most efficient way of activating inter-country cooperation is interaction in the "region to region" format.

“It is important to establish a supply of vegetables and fruit from Kyrgyzstan and grain, livestock products, mineral fertilizers from Bashkortostan. Direct supply of raw materials for light industry can be one of the "points of growth". Our businessmen have already been here in Kyrgyzstan and agreed to supply raw materials to our plants,” the Head of the Region said.

Important areas of interaction, according to Rustem Khamitov are also culture, tourism, education and science.

Rustem Khamitov invited the business community of Kyrgyzstan to participate in the first forum of small business regions of the SCO and BRICS member-states, which will be held in Ufa in October, and also suggested holding the next Russian-Kyrgyz Inter-Regional Conference in the capital of Bashkortostan.

Full Transcript of Rustem Khamitov’s speech is published on the official website of the Head of the Republic.