Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to greet everyone who has come here for the presentation of the next Russian region – the Tula Region – in the Foreign Ministry’s Mansion. I see many familiar faces here. I welcome the representatives of the federal and regional authorities, the diplomatic corps, Russian and foreign business circles and our colleagues from the media.

The Tula Region has become one of Russia’s most dynamic regions. The figures speak for themselves. For example, last year the growth rate of industrial output exceeded the national average.

The region is actively diversifying its economy. Its core industries include machine building, including defence (Tula is famous for this), the chemical industry, and metallurgy. Enterprises like the Akademik Shipunov KBP Instrument Design Bureau, that is the leading designer of weapons and military equipment, Tulamashzavod, and the manufacturer of industrial chemical products Shchekinoazot, are widely known.

I’m confident that the presentation showed the opportunities that are opening up in relation to the creation of a special economic area, Uzlovaya, which of course will give additional impetus to the general development of the region.

The Tula Region is a major transport hub with five federal motorways and main railway arteries of our country going through it.

I would like to note the energetic work of the region's leaders to create a comfortable environment for entrepreneurship, which helps to increase its investment appeal. According to the Strategic Initiatives Agency, the region has been one of the five Russian regions with the best investment climate over the past several years.

We are very pleased that the region’s geography of international and foreign economic relations is expanding. Its key foreign partners include the CIS countries, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the United States. The legal framework underlying this cooperation is being improved. We are interacting very closely and productively with the region in this regard. I would like to note that representatives of the region participate in various international events held in Russia, including the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

I would particularly like to mention the efforts aimed at implementing joint projects with our foreign partners in areas such as automotive manufacturing, construction materials, and the food industry. It is gratifying to know that large foreign companies like Cargill and Procter&Gamble, Knauf Aquapanel and Heidelberg-Cement, and many others are working in the region. The Chinese Great Wall company, I heard, is about to complete the construction of a large auto assembly plant with full cycle production.

I could talk at length about the region’s tourist potential. People here carefully preserve the centuries-old cultural and historical heritage of their land, which, thanks to its original artisanal crafts, has gained fame far beyond Russia. The gingerbread and samovar which you may have seen on display at the entrance to our Mansion remain the crown jewels of the Tula Region.

There are more than 900 historical and cultural landmarks in the region, such as the world-famous Yasnaya Polyana museum-estate of Leo Tolstoy, the Kulikovo Field Military History Reserve which is a place of Russian military glory, the museum-reserve of outstanding Russian artist Vasily Polenov, whose paintings you can also enjoy in the lobby of our Mansion and, of course, the Tula State Weapons Museum, the exhibits from which you can see in the nearby halls.

Tula Region Governor Alexei Dyumin is an active athlete, which makes us close to him and many of our other friends. I would like to congratulate the region on its participation in international sports events. International children's hockey tournament – EuroChem Cup 2018 – with the participation of young athletes from eight countries will take place for the fifth time in the Tula Region’s second largest city – Novomoskovsk – in late May.

The Russian Football Championship will resume the day after tomorrow. We know where the Arsenal Tula football club stands, and it is really putting up a fight. I wish you every success in getting to the Eurocup. That is, football will be the Tula Region’s international contribution to promoting our achievements.

I’m sure that Governor Dyumin, his staff and the business representatives who work there will tell you more about the Tula Region.

Once again, I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation. I’m sure you’ll have fun today.