Yamal and Israel discussed issues of possible cooperation

The working meeting of the first secretary of the embassy of the Russian Federation in Israel Natalia Yakimchuk and a representative of the department of international and external economic relations of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the chief of the office of state programs Ivan Timkin took place in Tel Aviv (Israel). The sides discussed issues of possible cooperation between Yamal and Israel.

The meeting became the logical continuation of the agreement about interaction between the government of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Residing Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) signed in Moscow. The document will allow the Federal Agency to position Yamal in near and far foreign countries as a region actively developing international relations in education, culture, youth policy and other spheres. As the governor of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Dmitriy Kobylkin underlines, the region is ready to support initiatives of Rossotrudnichestvo and to take active part in joint activities. The agreement allows already existing long-term cooperation to find a legal basis. Taking into consideration that about 1 million and 500 thousand Russian-speaking citizens live today in Israel, at that, in northern towns of the country the number of Russian repatriates reached 40-50 percent – it is especially important. In the opinion of the participants of the working meeting, education, culture and further practice of teachers of Russian language can become potential directions of further cooperation. Also projects connected with arctic themes can become attractive for investors. The projects can be fulfilled on the basis of Russian cultural centers. One of such centers was built at the expenses of the federal budget in Bethlehem (Palestine). The gala-concert of the international festival "The Victory Day" took place here during the days of celebration of the Victory Day. A soloist from Yamal Diana Bikkulova participated in the concert. As we should note, international activities in the sphere of culture, science and education, civil and patriotic education, sport and tourism are conducted in Yamal every year. Special attention is paid to work with associations of compatriots residing in near and far foreign countries.