President Medvedev arrives in Buryatia

ULAN-UDE, August 24 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on
Wednesday arrived on a working trip to Buryatia. Buryatian President
Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn met the head of state at the Baikal international
airport in Ulan-Ude.
Medvedev asked Nagovitsyn what changes had occurred in Buryatia since
he visited the republic for the fist time two years ago and whether the
unemployment rate in the republic was high.
"The republic has overcome the crisis without losses. Anti-crisis
measures helped to avert the growth of unemployment," Nagovitsyn said.
Nagovitsyn stressed the role of the flagships of Buryatian industry
such as the Ulan-Ude aviation plant, an instrument-making plant as well as
enterprises of the mining industry. He drew the president's attention to
the fact that the construction of a special economic tourist zone, the
Baikal Harbour, was under way in Buryatia.
Nagovitsyn told Medvedev that the economic zone has attracted Russian
investors registered at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.
"The crisis taught everybody how to work," President Medvedev said in
turn.
Nagovitsyn told Dmitry Medvedev about preparations for the
celebrations of the 350th anniversary of Buryatia's accession to the
Russian state. The anniversary will be marked in July. Fifty-six social
and infrastructure facilities have either been built or will be finished
by that date. The federal centre and the republic have spent 13 billion
roubles on their construction.