On July, 11th of 2013 the Smolny palace was a meeting place for the Saint Petersburg government member, the President of Saint Petersburg Committee for external relations A.V.Prokhorenko and Minister Delegate for French nationals abroad Hélène Conway-Mouret.
On July, 11th of 2013 the Smolny palace was a meeting place for the Saint Petersburg government member, the President of Saint Petersburg Committee for external relations A.V.Prokhorenko and Minister Delegate for French nationals abroad Hélène Conway-Mouret.
A.V.Prokhorenko: “The French presence in Saint Petersburg has a long history and a rich cultural tradition. Being the capital of the Russian Empire and inspired by the French revolution, Saint Petersburg spoke French and was greatly influenced by France for almost a century. Nowadays the contacts between Saint Petersburg and France consist in cooperation with such cities as Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Paris, of course. Our traditional programme includes the presentation of the best works of art, the discussion of humanitary issues, education and the conservation of the heritage. Saint Petersburg theatre seasons will take place in Marseille in autumn. In January of 2014 we are planning to hold an exposition and film shows dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad. I´m sure that it will be not just interesting, but important and informative for French and European society to know closer the tragic events of the World War II. France is now in 14th line of our trade partners rating. Last year the turnover growth amounted at 14 %. These figures show a considerable potential in the economic sphere. French entrepreneurs, industrialists and owners of medium businesses visit forums and expositions in Saint Petersburg in order to study its business climate and infrastructure. Moreover, there is a Consulate of France, a French school, which will move to a new building soon, as well as other social institutions. I believe that in a short time we will be welcoming here a lot of professionals from France, who will live and work with comfort in our city”.
A.V.Prokhorenko also told Ms.Conway-Mouret about a Programme developed by the government of Saint Petersburg aimed at the implementation of the Russian state policy regarding Russians abroad and highlighted the importance of providing support to the language and culture outside the country´s territory.