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On May 15 through 17, Tallinn hosted “St.Petersburg Encounters-2011”.

The visit of St.Petersburg delegation, headed by Governor V.I.Matvienko, began with laying the flowers at the monument “To Those Lost in the Second World War”.

Within the framework of “St.Petersburg Encounters-2011”, Governor Valentina Matvienko and Edgar Savisaar, Mayor of Tallinn, signed the Agreement and the Program of Cooperation between St.Petersburg Government and Tallinn City Administration.

Among the main features of the new Agreement, the Governor emphasized the concreteness and being down-to-earth of the items for cooperation outlined in it. The priorities for the development were chosen as economic and trade relations, cooperation in humanitarian area and in tourism. Valentina Matvienko said that St.Petersburg and Tallinn had great potential for cooperation. Last year, the trade turnover between the two cities increased by 3.2 times and exceeded $ 300 million. St.Petersburg and Tallinn are plannung to develop mutual tourism, and one of the major objectives today is to restore rail links between the cities. It is ecided to implement joint projects in memory of Ivan Krusenstern. Petersburg and Tallinn newspapers are going to announce a contest for the best essay about him. Besides, the Hermitage is planning an exhibition devoted to the renowned individuals whose lives and destinies are tied with Estonia.

“The Agreement will give a new impetus to expand our cooperation. We have a mutual desire to develop the relationships at all levels, to be the friendly neighbours ”, said Valentina Matvienko. The governor emphasized that this year, when Tallinn was proclaimed the cultural capital of Europe, St.Petersburg decided to support the Estonian partner, and to prepare an expanded program of “St.Petersburg Encounters-2011”, which would allow the residents and visitors to feel the contemporary cultural and business life of Russia’s northern capital.

During her visit to Tallinn, St.Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko also met at the Center of Russian Culture with the representatives of Russian compatriots living in Estonia, namely, the World War II veterans and the former residents of sieged Leningrad, the deputies of the Parliament of Estonia, Tallinn City Assembly, scientists, entrepreneurs, cultural workers, teachers.

The business circles have discussed the areas of cooperation witin the framework of the conference “Prospects of Economic and Trade Cooperation between St.Petersburg and Estonia”. Chambers of commerce of the two cities have a long and diversified contacts. Trade turnover of St.Petersburg and Estonia in 2010, as compared to 2009, increased by 3,2 times and amounted to $ 388.8 million (24th place among the partner countries of St.Petersburg and 2nd place among the Baltic countries, next to Latvia). Until 2006, the trade turnover with Estonia increased annually, which included both exports and imports, while the exports surpassed the imports. Exports in 2010 increased 5-fold as compared with 2009 and amounted to $ 292.8 million (15th place among the countries imporing the products of Petersburg enterprises, 2nd place among the Baltic countries). Imports in 2010 increased by 49% as compared with 2009 and totaled $ 96 million (39th place among the countries importing to St.Petersburg and 1st place among the Baltic countries).

Tallinn residents enthusiastically received the performance “The Scarlet Sails” by Theatre Festival “Baltic House”, a presentation of Semen Altov’s book “Wordplay” (translated by Priit Aimla) held by the author, a concert of modern jazz trio “Kondakov–Volkov–Gayvoronskiy” and gala-concert of Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theatres’ soloists at the National Opera.

Cultural workers held a series of working meetings. The building of Tallinn City Council hosted exhibition “Saint Petersburg – the City of Bright Events”. An agreement was signed in Tallinn between the Center of Russian Culture and Theatre-Festival “Baltic House”, as well as between the Center of Russian Culture and St.Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Teacher Education.

Based on the results of the Round Table “Partnership of High School in Tallinn and St Petersburg in the Context of a United European Educational Space”, S.V. Zholovan, Rector of St.Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Teacher Education, said: “After the interaction with the Tallinn colleagues, it can be said that there is the interest in receiving the education in St.Petersburg, especially in the Russian-speaking part of the population. St.Petersburg high schools are migrating to the methods of teaching in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna declaration of two-level training, which gives further impetus to the integration. Tallinn colleagues are ready to share their experiences and programs that meet the international requirements. Scientific contacts, unfortunately, are not very numerous. Potential and interest is very high, especially from the private universities. I believe that private schools respond faster to the market trends and launch the Russian-speaking faculties. A second important topic are the innovation in higher education: contacts with employers, new requirements for curriculum and standards of training.

News Source: St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations