Kaliningrad news

Days of EU business and customs in Kaliningrad will be held in Kaliningrad on May 27-28. The event may be freely accessed by all those interested.

Governor of the Kaliningrad region Georgy Boos will address the participants with opening words.

Industrial production index in January-April 2010 in the Kaliningrad region was 140.1% as compared to the same period last year. Manufacturing industry index in January-April is registered at the level of 158.5%.

The expected volume of capital investments of large and medium-sized businesses in the Kaliningrad region in 2010 will amount to 38.7 billion rubles which is a 22,2% increase on the 2009 level, when this indicator fell by 37.5 %. These figures were announced by the Minister of Economy of the Kaliningrad region, Alexandra Smirnova during a meeting of the regional government.

Today, on May 17 parliamentary hearings focusing on the performance and prospects for further development of the Special Economic Zone in the Kaliningrad region were held at the State Duma of Russia in Moscow. The regional delegation was headed by the Governor, Georgy Boos, and included the Minister of Economy of the Kaliningrad region, Alexandra Smirnova, Head of Kaliningrad SEZ administration, Vladimir Ashihin, Vice-President of the Kaliningrad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dmitry Chemakin, as well as representatives of regional professional associations - Mikhail Meister, Stefano Vlahovic, Lyudmila Toropova, Alexey Egorov. Members of Kaliningrad delegation voiced a number of proposals aimed at the improvement of socio-economic situation in the Kaliningrad region and ensuring the sustainability of its development.

On Monday, May 17 at the hearings on the implementation of the Federal Law "On the Special Economic Zone in the Kaliningrad Region" in the State Duma of Russia a number of amendments to the Law will be considered. According to the press service of the Kaliningrad Regional Duma, it is proposed to extend the transition period for those entities who carry out their activities under the "old" law on special economic zone, by another 5 years - until 2021, as well as to extend the eligibility of the transition period for individuals - individual entrepreneurs.

During the "Government" hour in the Council of Federation Senator representing Kaliningrad Regional Duma Nicholay Tulaev asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov about the prospects of negotiations with the governments of Poland and Lithuania on the extension of visa free zone so that the entire territory of the Kaliningrad region was eligible.

Today, May 14 Deputy Head of RF Presidential Administration Vladislav Surkov will chair a meeting where more than 30 issues of Kaliningrad region's development are planned to be considered. According to the press service of Kaliningrad Regional Government, a meeting will be attended by deputy ministers of key ministries of the Government of Russia and the Governor of the Kaliningrad region, Georgy Boos.

In the January-April, 2010 the turnover of the port of Kaliningrad has grown to 5.11 million tons (+27% to the level of the same period in 2009). According to the Association of Sea Commercial Ports, the increase in turnover was also noted in the Big Port of St. Petersburg (to 15.75 million tons – a 16.3% growth) and the port of Ust-Luga (to 3.25 million tons - a 25.1% growth).

In the second half of 2010 it is planned to launch a second ferry on the Baltiysk - Ust-Luga ferry line IA "PortNews" reported referring to the Head of Administrative and Legal Department of the Federal Agency of Railway Transport Mr. Nikita Kamenir.
According to Mr. Kamenir, more than 6 thousand carriages were transported through the line in 2009, which was particularly relevant in the context of increased tariffs for transportation of Russian goods in Kaliningrad through the bordering states.

Yesterday, the District Council of Deputies of Kaliningrad held open parliamentary hearings on the measures of enforcement of the "Federal Law on Energy Saving and on Enhancing Energy Efficiency". According to the press service of Kaliningrad city administration, Chairman of the Council of Deputies' Commission on Strategic Development and Investment Promotion, Yuri Vasilyuk noted that the implementation of the provisions of the law of the energy consumption of Kaliningrad companies will be reduced by 40%, which should give an impetus to the emergence of new companies and production facilities even without building additional infrastructural capacity.