February 10, 2014. Sverdlovsk Region Legislative Assembly adopted a draft bill on cooperating with Kostanai Region and Karaganda Region of Kazakhstan. This is a framework agreement that is expected to build more trust in business communities on both sides, the Mid-Urals Ministry for International and Foreign Economic Relations reports.

‘These are framework agreements that do not cost our budget anything, this is only about the legal situation. The agreement is signed not on behalf of this or that person but when the mutual interest of both parties is in place. A cooperation agreement between two government bodies is a component that adds to an area’s investment appeal and a sign that it is safe to do business there. The authorities’ agreement to cooperate create an area of trust for the businesspeople,’ says Minister Andrei Sobolev, who presented the paper for the deputies’ consideration.

‘We have by now come up with a list of promising joint projects; the list has already been handed over to the Kazakh party,’ he added.

Sverdlovsk Region currently has about thirty agreements on international cooperation. These agreements mean cooperating not only in the field of economics but also in those of culture, education, and science.