TOMSK, Nov 22 – RIA Tomsk. One of results of the European countries ambassadors visit to the Tomsk region in 2018 was a 20% increase in trade turnover in agricultural sector, the governor Sergey Zhvachkin told. Within five-year "green course" of European Commission, deliveries of Tomsk organic products to Europe may increase, said the EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer.
Earlier it was reported that since 2017 in Tomsk there has been a film festival of the EU countries, organized by the EU mission to the Russian Federation and the administration of the region. Traditionally, meetings of foreign directors and actors with spectators are held within its framework. In 2018, the festival was visited by representatives of 18 diplomatic missions of EU countries, with which the authorities of the Tomsk region held talks on expanding economic cooperation.
On Friday, November 22, the EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer arrived in Tomsk to participate in the opening ceremony of the third film festival. In the morning he met with Zhvachkin.
"We are developing cooperation with many countries, including those whose ambassadors have arrived. For the year, almost 20% in the agricultural sector alone increased the volume of trade turnover with the EU countries – it is already approaching 100 million dollars", – Zhvachkin told reporters following the results of negotiations.
The head of the region added that in December 2019, delegations from the Styria region (Austria) are expected to arrive in the Tomsk region. Negotiations will be devoted to the participation of European companies in the development of Tomsk forests.In turn, the EU ambassador noted that the Tomsk region – is one of several regions of the Russian Federation that understood the growing demand for environmentally friendly food products.
"Now the European Commission has adopted a so-called Green New Deal for Europe – the five-year policy of the European Union, which opens up new opportunities for cooperation with the Tomsk region, as it is a major supplier of environmentally friendly food products", – Ederer said.
According to open sources, the "Green New Deal for Europe" – is a comprehensive development program that, in particular, aims to reorient the EU economy from accumulating of private capital to environmental sustainability.