A group of mechanical engineers from Bavaria is going to come to Sverdlovsk Region for business negotiations in mid-July, Kai Walliser of Bayern International announced at a meeting with the region’s Minister for International and Foreign Economic Relations Alexander Kharlov.

The Ministry’s official website refers to Walliser as saying that Bavaria’s 1,000-plus enterprises supply over ?40,000bn worth of goods on the international market each year. Sverdlovsk Region’s potential being well-known in Bavaria, the German manufacturers thought it a good idea to look for business partners in the Mid-Urals.

Alexander Kharlov noted Germany largely exports machine-building produce to Sverdlovsk Region. Last year’s bilateral turnover reached $744m, for example, whereas the figures for the ante-recession year 2008 amounted to $1.5bn. The minister explained that Sverdlovsk Region saw Germany as its strategic industrial upgrade partner and was interested in setting up a powerful machine-tool facility at home.

Sverdlovsk Region’s Ministry for International and Foreign Economic Relations is currently holding talks with a number of leading European businesses (including some German companies) about the potential joint ventures in the region. This is why the arrival of a delegation from Bavaria is much welcomed by the regional authorities.