Press Releases
Ambassador Burns Visits Chukotka
September 06, 2007
On September 6-7, Ambassador William Burns visited Anadyr, Chukotka where he met with a wide range of business, civic and political leaders. The Ambassador met with First Deputy Governor Andrei Viktorovich Gorodilov. They discussed development in Chukotka, opportunities for attracting additional American investment, and a number of other issues concerning the strengthening of ties between the United States and the Russian Far East.
During a meeting with the Bering Strait Commission, the Ambassador discussed increased civil aviation cooperation and visa-free travel for the indigenous population. "We are committed to maintaining and strengthening those family connections by facilitating a visa-free travel regime," he said. The Ambassador encouraged the Chukotka Okrug to work with the Federal Government to consider abolishing the border zone permit to help attract foreign investments and tourists. He also highlighted the new U.S.-Russian Agreement on the Conservation and Management of the Alaska-Chukotka Polar Bear Population, which will come into force on September 23.In honor of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations, the Ambassador opened a poster show at the Chukotka Museum/Amphitheater. Entitled "Closer Than We Think," the poster show articulates what the people of Chukotka know better than most: that the United States and Russia matter to each other in many different ways.
At the end of his stay in Chukotka, Ambassador Burns visited a Chukchi Migrating Reindeer Camp, where he met with community leaders.