In his visit to Yekaterinburg on April 13 – 15, U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft re-affirmed his commitment to supporting people-to-people, cultural, educational and business ties with Russia. He also laid a wreath at the World War II memorial in Dendro Park to honor the region’s soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Great Patriotic War.
Ambassador Tefft said he was pleased by the warm welcome he received in the Urals. On Monday, he met with the Union of Sverdlovsk Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and discussed the business climate and opportunities in Sverdlovsk. On Tuesday, in Verkhnyaya Salda, he toured the Ural Boeing Manufacturing, a joint venture of VSMPO-Avisma and Boeing, and an example of successful U.S.-Russian cooperation. The Ambassador said he enjoyed the tour and, in particular, he admired a 75,000 ton press on site.
On Wednesday, the Ambassador meet with the Mayor and representatives of the Ministries of Economics and External Affairs, Culture and Education, where they discussed furthering people-to-people, business, cultural and educational cooperation and projects. He visited the Church on the Blood and learned about the building from the Metropolitan Kirill. In the afternoon, the Ambassador visited Dendro Park to pay tribute to the 300,000 Ural soldiers who gave their lives during World War II.
Ambassador Tefft had previously visited the Urals during his tenure as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the late 1990s.
