BROD AND NIZHNETURINSKY DISTRICT SIGN COOPERATION MEMORANDUM

BROD, OCTOBER 22 /SRNA/ - Brod Mayor Milan Zečević and Andrey Postovalov, head of the Nizhneturinsky Municipal District in Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, signed a cooperation memorandum in Brod today, aimed at fostering economic, cultural, sports, and other ties.

The signing ceremony was attended by Republika Srpska Minister of Energy and Mining Petar Đokić, who said the event was part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation between Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation and establish closer ties between local communities.

"I am confident that this first step will be one of many aimed at developing comprehensive cooperation between the two municipalities, while also enriching cooperation between Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation with new initiatives," Đokić told reporters.

Đokić said the initiative was launched following his visit to the Sverdlovsk Region in July, when he recognized the Nizhneturinsky District's interest in cooperating with a local community in Republika Srpska and proposed Brod as a partner.

He thanked the Brod municipal leadership for accepting the initiative, noting that opportunities for meaningful cooperation had been identified even before the memorandum was signed.

Zečević said that Brod wanted to expand its international cooperation and showcase its economic potential to partners from Russia.

He said that the Russian delegation included a representative of the TISOL company, in addition to administrative officials, and added that there was an opportunity to connect local businesspeople with the company.

"We presented our free trade zone, and we hope that by the end of next month Brod will have the first operational free zone in Republika Srpska. We want to show what Brod can offer the domestic market and the wider European market," Zečević told reporters.

He expects the new partners to recognize the economic advantages Brod has to offer and that the memorandum would provide a basis for concrete forms of cooperation.

Postovalov said that the signing of the memorandum was an important event for both local communities and expressed confidence that it would mark the beginning of a long-term friendship and cooperation.

He noted that the Nizhneturinsky Municipal District has numerous manufacturing companies interested in entering foreign markets, stressing that the Sverdlovsk Region is one of Russia's major industrial centers.

According to him, cooperation could also be developed in culture, sports, and other fields, in addition to the economy.

The memorandum was signed during a visit by the Russian delegation to Republika Srpska.