XIAN, China – Russia has become one of the chief guests of the Fourth Silk Road International EXPO that kicked off in the Chinese city of Xian on Saturday. This year, Russia’s regions of the Urals Federal District are showcasing their trade, economic, investment, educational and scientific capacities at the event.

Russian presidential envoy to the Urals Federal District Nikolai Tsukanov said, addressing the EXPO’s opening ceremony, that Russia and China had great potential for cooperation. He pointed to the increasing number of
joint Russian-Chinese projects and the growing ties between the two countries’ universities. “Tourism ties and youth exchanges are expanding. There is huge potential for Russian-Chinese cooperation,” the Russian presidential envoy emphasized.

“This year marks the 70th anniversaries of the People’s Republic of China and diplomatic relations between our countries. Our partnership has been progressing in the past 70 years. In 2018, trade exceeded $100 bln,” Tsukanov pointed out.

He emphasized the EXPO’s importance in the development of regional ties, adding that five governors, university chiefs, heads of agricultural, tourism and oil companies, as well as medical and transport facilities, represented Russia’s Urals Federal District at the Xian event.

“I would like to point out that relations between Urals regions and Chinese provinces are particularly important because 2018 and 2019 are declared the Russian-Chinese Years of Regional Cooperation. I hope that our regions will take active steps to boost ties with China’s Shaanxi province and discuss joint economic and humanitarian projects,” the Russian presidential envoy said.

Xian EXPO

The Silk Road International EXPO is a platform for promoting cooperation between countries participating in China’s One Belt One Road project. The 2019 event is dubbed ‘New Era, New Situation, New Development.’

More than 30 international conferences and forums on economy, trade, culture, tourism and investment cooperation are expected to take place during the EXPO. Cambodia is another chief guest of the event.

The Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Yamalo-Nenets regions of Russia’s Urals Federal District have set out their stalls at the EXPO.