Press Releases
Ambassador Burns Visits Volgograd
November 20, 2006
On November 16 and 17, Ambassador Bill Burns traveled to Volgograd in southern Russia. He toured the Museum of the Defense of Stalingrad and a Panorama commemorating the heroic resistance of the southern front by Soviet forces in World War II and visited Mamaev Kurgan where he laid a wreath in honor of Stalingrad's valiant defenders at the Pantheon of the Immortal Flame. Ambassador Burns expressed his deep admiration and respect for the extraordinary sacrifices of the defenders of Stalingrad, who played such a crucial role in the victory over Fascism.
During his visit to Volgograd Ambassador Burns met with First Vice Governor Kabanov and reinforced the importance of attracting additional foreign investment to the region and on fostering greater ties between the United States and the agricultural and industrial centers of Russia's south. They discussed Volgograd's regional economy and future plans for the development of the Volga River basin.
The Ambassador toured a small, private farm in the Ilovlinskiy district which has received financial assistance from the Russian Credit Cooperative Development Fund (RCCDF), which was partly financed by monetized proceeds from a USDA commodity donation. While visiting the area he met with farmers, agribusiness owners and directors of local credit cooperatives to discuss opportunities for U.S. agricultural investment in the region and the role of agricultural credit cooperatives in promoting greater economic development in rural areas.
Volgograd established a sister-city relationship with Cleveland, Ohio in 1990, and more than 600 people from the Volgograd region have participated in exchange programs with the United States. On November 17, the Ambassador paid a visit the American Corner / Educational Advising Center where he met with alumni of U.S. Government sponsored professional exchange programs focused on business and development of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). He highlighted the recent U.S.-Russia World Trade Organization (WTO) bilateral agreement as an avenue for even greater economic cooperation and an opportunity for further U.S. investment in Russia. The Ambassador emphasized that Russia has a lot to gain by joining the WTO and that the WTO will also benefit from Russia's entry. He expressed gratitude to the alumni for fostering mutual understanding between Russia and the United States through their daily interactions.
Ambassador Burns' visit to Volgograd coincided with International Student Day. During a forum with students and faculty from "Americana," the American Studies Center of Volgograd State University, he congratulated students on their special day and their educational accomplishments, commenting that they will play a critical role in Russia's future. Speaking of U.S.-Russian relations, he emphasized that Russia and the United States need each other and that although differences may arise, both nations must never forget what can be gained by working together. The Ambassador highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding signed prior to the G-8 in St. Petersburg which expands cooperation and exchanges in the field of education as an example of what can be accomplished together.