OREANDA-NEWS. In the course of a meeting between Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico and Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, the Business Council for Cooperation with Slovakia and the Slovak-Russian Business Council entered into an Agreement on Cooperation. On the part of Russia the Agreement was signed by Vnesheconombank Deputy Chairman - Chairman of the Business Council for Cooperation with Slovakia Irina Makieva and on the part of Slovakia - by Chairman of the Slovak-Russian Business Council Igor Ledetsky.

The Agreement provides for mutually beneficial cooperation on rendering all-round assistance to Russian and Slovak companies and organizations in establishing and enhancing direct contacts between them, engaging members of the business councils for implementing joint projects to be carried out on the territories of the two countries. Specifically, the two sides intend to provide support for projects on manufacturing, exporting, importing and purchasing equipment and component parts among other things through credit and leasing products of SME Bank and Eximbanka SR. The two sides also plan to cooperate in implementing investment projects on the territory of industrial parks in Russian mono-cities and industrial parks of the Slovak Republic as well as in the field of culture and education and carry out an exchange of university students between the two countries.

The document was signed as part of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's formal visit to the Russian Federation.

In the course of events timed to coincide with this visit a round-table discussion was held at the International Investment Bank. Its participants discussed advanced investment projectsthat are being supervised by the Business Councils of the two countries. In the attendance of the round-table discussion were Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Slovak Vice Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Laichak, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Russian Federation Peter Priputen, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Slovak Republic Alexei Fedotov, Vnesheconombank Deputy Chairman Irina Makieva, representatives of federal government authorities, Slovak ministries and agencies, the business community of the two countries.

This Agreement's implementation would help to promote and expand trade-economic, scientific-technical and other business ties between Russian and Slovak enterprises.

During two years business councils for cooperation with Slovakia and Russia held 30 meetings including those in the format of teleconferences, 5 joint visiting sessions (2 in Russia: Astrakhan and Moscow; 3 in Slovakia: Modra, StrbaStrbskePleso, Bratislava). In the course of the business councils' meetings, its participants made presentations of investment projects for potential investors planning to take part in implementing projects on the territory of the two countries.

Moreover, they made a presentation of industrial parks in the old industrial Russian cities (mono-cities) and analyzed industrial parks of the Slovak Republic.

Members of the Business Councils took an active part in exhibitions, exchanges, presentations and forums.

At a joint session of the business councils in the city of Astrakhan they made a presentation of a brief version of the musical film-play "Shammi", and on the eve of the Great Victory Day in May 2015, the Slovak-Russian Business Council was presented with unique archive materials on the USSR's fraternal assistance rendered to the rebellious Slovak people in 1944.

As part of cooperation between the business councils, students of the Slovak Technical Universit (the city of Bratislava) and the Technical University (the city of Kosice) are to arrive in Moscow in June to participate in the All-Russian Robotic Olympics in the city of Kazan.