‘It’s too early to speak of the end of the recession in Sverdlovsk Region; our problems will still be felt in the foreseeable future. So working with our problem enterprises is still one of our top priorities. Even though the situation at Uralvagonzavod, for example, has grown a bit more stable and the company has enough orders for its produce, about 3,000 people might still have to be laid off,’ the region’s Economy Minister Mikhail Maksimov said during his meeting with Sverdlovsk Region’s town mayors.

‘The recession made it obvious that we got used to living off the two or three leading industries, with poor diversification. Now it’s necessary to build up on productivity in all the regional industries,’ the minister added.