Irkutsk and Manchuria discussed new areas of cooperation, from building a transport and logistics center, a medical clinic and a large shopping complex to creating an import export base and a joint wood processing enterprise. They also discussed humanitarian and cultural exchanges, and the Chinese side was invited to take part in the Baikaltur 2013 exhibition. Participants expressed hope that the talks would strengthen ties between the cities and open new joint projects.

The delegation includes Manchuria CPC Municipal Committee Secretary Wang Wei, Head of the Manchuria Foreign Affairs Office Zhang Jing, Head of the Manchuria Trade Zone Management Committee Liu Fumao, Head of the Manchuria Foreign Relations, Economic and Trade Cooperation Office Wang Fenglin, and other officials. On the Russian side, the delegation was welcomed by Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Economics Committee of the Irkutsk administration Alexey Almukhamedov, and Head of the Tourism and International Activities Department of the Irkutsk administration Olga Seredkina.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss cooperation issues between Irkutsk and Manchuria. As Alexey Almukhamedov noted, an example of such cooperation could be the construction of a transport and logistics center and a medical clinic combining the capabilities of modern diagnostics and methods of traditional Chinese medicine. The issue of their creation had already been raised at a similar meeting in August. There is also a need to build a large international-level shopping center in Irkutsk. A similar proposal was voiced by the Chinese side as well. The discussion also covered the creation of an import-export base and a joint venture for wood processing and furniture production.
Representatives of the Chinese side proposed developing cooperation in the field of humanitarian and cultural exchanges as well. For example, next year, noted the head of the Chinese delegation Wang Wei, construction of the Palace of Chinese-Russian Friendship in Manchuria will be completed, thanks to which the opportunities for cultural and educational exchanges will become much greater.
Alexey Almukhamedov invited tourism companies from Manchuria to take part in the tourism services exhibition “Baikaltur-2013,” which will be held in March. “It is here that we can discuss the potential opportunities for our tourism exchanges,” Alexey Almukhamedov noted.
At the end, the participants expressed hope that the meeting would contribute to the further development of relations between the cities and the establishment of closer contacts.
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk city administration