Information about Stavropol city administration’s international and interregional cooperation in the III quarter of 2009
During the period under report Stavropol city administration international and interregional relations department’s activity was carried out on the following guidelines: development of friendly relations with the sister cities of foreign countries, participation in international, All-Russian and regional associations of municipal units and joint projects and programs implementation.
Much attention was paid to development of friendly relations with the sister cities of foreign countries.
According to the Agreement on cooperation between the city of Stavropol (The Russian Federation) and the city of Des Moines (the USA) and for the purpose of furthering sister cities relations a visit of the Des Moines Sister City Commission Stavropol city chair Vidal Spaine to Stavropol took place in the period from 29th of June to the 4th of July.
During the official welcome which was given by the head of the city of Stavropol Paltsev N.I. the perspectives of developing sister cities relations in social, economic and humanitarian areas were discussed.
The Program of the Des Moines Sister City Commission Stavropol city chair’s visit to Stavropol included visits to the institutions of education and public healthcare as well as to the city enterprises. During the meetings with the Education Department leaders and school teachers there was a discussion on the draft Plan of cooperation between the Stavropol city administration Education Department and Des Moines Public Schools for 2009-2012 including the teachers training, students and artistic groups exchanges of the sister cities educational institutions.
During the talk with the rectors of the state educational institutions of higher professional education Stavropol State University and Stavropol State Agricultural University there was a discussion on the issue of cooperation development in educational and scientific areas with the universities of Iowa State. A great attention was paid to organization of direct contacts with the state institution of secondary professional education “Stavropol Basic Medical College”.
A special interest was paid to the study of healthcare institutions’ work organization in the city of Stavropol. During the meeting with the representatives of Stavropol city administration Health Department and the chief doctor of the city Child Polyclinic ¹ 3 there was an interesting discussion on the issues of medical services provision to children, elderly people and diseases prevention.
Sister city representative visited open JS Dairy production enterprise “Stavropolskiy”, JSK “RSU-1”, and CJSK “Monocrystal”. During the meetings with the top executives they explored the possibility of establishing business contacts between sister cities’ enterprises.
As a result of the visit the Plan of Cooperation between Sister Cities Stavropol (Russian Federation) and Des Moines (United States of America) for 2009-2012 was signed. The Greater Des Moines Sister Cities Commission’s representative visit to Stavropol was covered in the local mass media.
There was a regular exchange of information about the most significant events in the social, political and cultural life of the sister-cities. The proposals on working out a joint program of events for 2010 declared a Year of France in Russia and Russia in France were sent to the municipality of the sister-city Beziers.
According to the plan of cooperation between the city of Stavropol (The Russian Federation) and the community of Pazardjik (The Republic of Bulgaria) for 2008-2010 a group of pupils from the Pazardjik vocational school named after Georgi Bregov visited Stavropol in the period from the 17th to 22nd of September The Gymnasium ¹ 25 of the city of Stavropol welcomed the Bulgarian pupils. The Stavropol pupils’ families hosted the pupils from the twin city. Within the program of the visit a special attention was paid to attendance of lessons and study of teaching methods at Russian schools. A meeting was organized with the representatives of the Stavropol city administration and Stavropol ñity Duma where the new forms of activities between teachers and pupils of the twin cities schools were discussed. At the Palace of Children’s Art a meeting of Bulgarian pupils with artistic groups took place. It was aimed at studying the work of institutions for supplementary education. The pupils of the school named after G. Bregov took an active part in the ceremonial events devoted to the Stavropol city Day celebrations. In the framework of the programs “Childhood Country” and “Initiation to Students” the Bulgarian pupils participated in the concert programs. They also took part in the Friendship Concert at the Gymnasium ¹ 25. They performed Russian and Bulgarian folk songs. Bulgarian delegation visit was covered by local mass media. An organizational work was carried out for preparing Bulgarian pupils stay in Moscow.
There was a regular work on organizing city events devoted to the Year of Bulgaria in Russia.
An exhibition “Stavropol–Pazardjik: twin-cities” from the holdings of the Stavropol State Local History Museum named after G.N.Prozritelev and G.K.Prave was opened in collaboration with the international and interregional relations department of the Stavropol city administration. It presented the history of developing friendly relations between Stavropol and Pazardjik.
In the period from the 15th to the 17th of September an international theoretical and practical conference “Russian-Bulgarian Friendship and Cooperation: Traditions, Modernity, Perspectives” was held by Stavropol State University and Stavropol city Administration. During the plenary and workshops meetings there was a consideration of issues of historical interaction between Russia and Bulgaria and perspectives of friendly relations development between two countries. In the framework of the conference on-line communication “Friendship Bridge” was organized between teachers, students and pupils of Stavropol, Sofia and Pazardjik. They discussed perspectives of youth policy development in Russia and Bulgaria and a role of national art in the life of the countries. An interactive show “Common cultural past of Russia and Bulgaria” was organized as well. The Bulgarian side made a proposal to organize a distant course of Bulgarian language teaching. It was agreed to hold next on-line communication in November.
At the city libraries the literary events took place, thematic exhibitions devoted to development of friendly relations between Stavropol and Pazardjik were organized. An exhibition of photos “World through children’s eyes” was opened in the children art school. At the Stavropol Palace of Children Art a special newspaper “I am Stavropol citizen” was issued about friendly relations between sister-cities Stavropol and Pazardjik. “Stavropol Youth Newspaper” published articles devoted to the Year of Bulgaria in Russia.
In the framework of the Stavropol city Day preparation a work was carried out for an official welcome of the international, All-Russian and regional municipal units associations leaders and the heads of the cities of the Russian Federation Southern Federal Region entities.
On the 18-19th of September the talks were held with Sagitov R.K., a general secretary of the United Cities and Local Governments Euro-Asia section. The issues of furthering cooperation with the above mentioned organization were discussed as well as participation in joint programs and projects.
In the period from the 17th to the 20th of September the Days of Bulgarian, French and American cuisine were held in collaboration with the Stavropol city administration economic development and trade committee. This event was aimed at popularization of sister-cities traditions and customs.
In the period under report an organizational work was done for Stavropol city administration representatives’ participation in the international and all-Russian municipal units association as well as international conferences and seminars. À preparatory work was carried out for participation of the first deputy head of the Stavropol city Kurbatov A.V. in the IAC International Forum “State-Private Partnership: Local Structure Development” which was held on the 17th of September in the city of Aktau (Kazakhstan). The representatives of more than 50 municipal units of Russia and foreign countries took part in the forum. In its framework the following issues were discussed: investments into municipal infrastructure through state-private partnership tools, legislature improvement and risks governing at state-private partnership projects implementation. The forum participants approved the establishment of State-Private Partnership Projects Agency aimed at cities development projects realization promotion.
Stavropol city administration representatives took part in the Board meeting of the Twin-cities International Association which took place on the 25th of September in the city of Kislovodsk. They discussed the issues of twin-cities relations development in the Southern Federal Region and establishment of friendly relations with the cities of the Republics of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetiya.
A work was going on translating informational materials of the sister-cities aimed at sharing experience in different areas of city life. The following documents were translated into Russian: the World Health Organization information about “1000 cities – 1000 lives” event and “We choose life –Youth against HIV/AIDs” project.