Vadim Potomsky: “We need to support each other, we have common territory, a common country, a common history”

Interview by Editor-in-Chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, Maria Sidelnikova

 

The Orlov Oblast has recently held a presentation of its investment potential at the residence of the French ambassador to Moscow. Vadim Potomsky, the new head of the region, expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would develop, despite the hardships around the Western sanctions. In an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, Potomsky explained why the Orlov Oblast was lucrative for business.

- Tell us, please, have you managed to achieve any agreements with the French ambassador?

- It was an acquaintance, it is too early to talk about agreements. We present the region to the ambassador of France, to the French business which is present in Russia, to those who are ready to bring industry to the territory of the Russian Federation, the Orlov Oblast in particular, in the context of sanctions relations. That is why we certainly do have some agreements, the parties have interest. We will hope that French business officials and cultural officials from the French side would be sent to us in the near future because we have great ties. For example, the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, because the French squadron Normandie-Niemen fought in the Orlov Aerospace, it was beating the German-Fascist invader collectively with Soviet pilots. We have many contacts, and I think that we can intensify them at the modern level.

- What is your overall evaluation of the investment climate in the Orlov Oblast?

- The region is interesting for business. We have a very powerful indicator in agriculture, very great potential in industry. The time for development has come for us today. And this time cannot be lost. So, we should contact all embassies represented in the Russian Federation, with business. We have many workers, educated youth. We have 14 higher education centers, good indicators in agriculture, industry has historically been developed, we have something to revive. That is why we create all the conditions to attract investments.

- Last year, the Orlov Oblast beat the record of grain harvest. What is the Russian region doing in the context of import displacement?

- We have three enterprises included in the program for import displacement. 9 more have been presented, 25 more are being prepared for the import-displacement line. The region is taking the same path. I am not an adherent of an overworking movement, I am not advocating increase of yield every year. I want to increase processing of the agricultural products we grow today. Three million tons in the Orlov Oblast is an absolutely normal figure that should be annual. The modern selection, modern land, modern types of products, modern fertilizers used on our territory allow us to sustainably get three million tons from year to year. More would be great. But it would be nice to process the three million on our territory. We are open to absolutely all investors. We have been neglected for a long time. Neighbouring regions are building plants, factories, developing the processing industry, agriculture. We have something to boast about today, we would like to have more to boast about. Thus, we are presenting the region at the German embassy, the French embassy, we start contacting other countries to gain their attention.

- You have mentioned the topic of marking Victory Day. How are you preparing for the event?

- We are preparing at the top level. The 70th anniversary of the Victory for the Orlov Oblast is very important, it is our most sacred holiday. In 1943, the German soldier was crushed on the Orlov land and driven out. It was the Orlov lands where he was pushed back home. The City of Oryol is the city of the first fireworks. Everyone has recognized it.

We have not made it to the list of cities where military vehicles will parade, we will have a festive solemn march with many events. One of the key events we plan to hold in Oryol on May 7 is that [the strongest man of Russia, captain of Russkiye Bogatyri] Alexander Muromsky will hopefully set a record and be added to the Guinness World Records Book. We invite titled guests to fix the record. We invite all channels, including yours, to fix it and show the country what is the Orlov Oblast, where Russian bogatyrs live.

- Oryol is now struggling for status of a cultural and literary capital of Russia…

- We will struggle for the status of a literary capital, we have Turgenev, Bunin, Fet, Leskov, the most powerful literary heritage. The Orlov Oblast is glorified by it. It is a very literary region. Literature Year was declared this year by the president, we are reconstructing museums, libraries. A lot of attention is paid to education. We need to cultivate literature, reading, knowledge of our own history in general. By 2020, we will have rewritten the education program, revamped it. We will grant 50 billion rubles, not 14 billion rubles, to education. It will be aimed at knowledge of native literature and our own origins.

- Vadim Vladimirovich, does the Orlov Oblast have contacts with all the republics of the NCFD, with all countries of the South Caucasus?

- The agreements were probably signed earlier, but we lack the interaction the agreements should encourage in the regions. We are currently working on the problem. We will work with southern regions. It is our country, it is our common cause. One grows one type of product, another one grows another, we need to interact, support each other. We have a common territory, we have a common country, we have a common history. Now we are just beginning, it is the first year of our work, we cannot complete everything in a year. We invite, we make visits all the time. Wait for our visit to your Caucasus regions, you are welcome to pay us a visit too.

Interview by Editor-in-Chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, Maria SidelnikovaThe Orlov Oblast has recently held a presentation of its investment potential at the residence of the French ambassador to Moscow. Vadim Potomsky, the new head of the region, expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would develop, despite the hardships around the Western sanctions. In an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, Potomsky explained why the Orlov Oblast was lucrative for business.- Tell us, please, have you managed to achieve any agreements with the French ambassador?- It was an acquaintance, it is too early to talk about agreements. We present the region to the ambassador of France, to the French business which is present in Russia, to those who are ready to bring industry to the territory of the Russian Federation, the Orlov Oblast in particular, in the context of sanctions relations. That is why we certainly do have some agreements, the parties have interest. We will hope that French business officials and cultural officials from the French side would be sent to us in the near future because we have great ties. For example, the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, because the French squadron Normandie-Niemen fought in the Orlov Aerospace, it was beating the German-Fascist invader collectively with Soviet pilots. We have many contacts, and I think that we can intensify them at the modern level.- What is your overall evaluation of the investment climate in the Orlov Oblast?- The region is interesting for business. We have a very powerful indicator in agriculture, very great potential in industry. The time for development has come for us today. And this time cannot be lost. So, we should contact all embassies represented in the Russian Federation, with business. We have many workers, educated youth. We have 14 higher education centers, good indicators in agriculture, industry has historically been developed, we have something to revive. That is why we create all the conditions to attract investments.- Last year, the Orlov Oblast beat the record of grain harvest. What is the Russian region doing in the context of import displacement?- We have three enterprises included in the program for import displacement. 9 more have been presented, 25 more are being prepared for the import-displacement line. The region is taking the same path. I am not an adherent of an overworking movement, I am not advocating increase of yield every year. I want to increase processing of the agricultural products we grow today. Three million tons in the Orlov Oblast is an absolutely normal figure that should be annual. The modern selection, modern land, modern types of products, modern fertilizers used on our territory allow us to sustainably get three million tons from year to year. More would be great. But it would be nice to process the three million on our territory. We are open to absolutely all investors. We have been neglected for a long time. Neighbouring regions are building plants, factories, developing the processing industry, agriculture. We have something to boast about today, we would like to have more to boast about. Thus, we are presenting the region at the German embassy, the French embassy, we start contacting other countries to gain their attention.- You have mentioned the topic of marking Victory Day. How are you preparing for the event?- We are preparing at the top level. The 70th anniversary of the Victory for the Orlov Oblast is very important, it is our most sacred holiday. In 1943, the German soldier was crushed on the Orlov land and driven out. It was the Orlov lands where he was pushed back home. The City of Oryol is the city of the first fireworks. Everyone has recognized it.We have not made it to the list of cities where military vehicles will parade, we will have a festive solemn march with many events. One of the key events we plan to hold in Oryol on May 7 is that [the strongest man of Russia, captain of Russkiye Bogatyri] Alexander Muromsky will hopefully set a record and be added to the Guinness World Records Book. We invite titled guests to fix the record. We invite all channels, including yours, to fix it and show the country what is the Orlov Oblast, where Russian bogatyrs live.- Oryol is now struggling for status of a cultural and literary capital of Russia…- We will struggle for the status of a literary capital, we have Turgenev, Bunin, Fet, Leskov, the most powerful literary heritage. The Orlov Oblast is glorified by it. It is a very literary region. Literature Year was declared this year by the president, we are reconstructing museums, libraries. A lot of attention is paid to education. We need to cultivate literature, reading, knowledge of our own history in general. By 2020, we will have rewritten the education program, revamped it. We will grant 50 billion rubles, not 14 billion rubles, to education. It will be aimed at knowledge of native literature and our own origins.- Vadim Vladimirovich, does the Orlov Oblast have contacts with all the republics of the NCFD, with all countries of the South Caucasus?- The agreements were probably signed earlier, but we lack the interaction the agreements should encourage in the regions. We are currently working on the problem. We will work with southern regions. It is our country, it is our common cause. One grows one type of product, another one grows another, we need to interact, support each other. We have a common territory, we have a common country, we have a common history. Now we are just beginning, it is the first year of our work, we cannot complete everything in a year. We invite, we make visits all the time. Wait for our visit to your Caucasus regions, you are welcome to pay us a visit