May 23, 2005: the official delegation from the partner city of Badenweiler (Germany) headed by Mayor Karl-Eugen Engler visited Taganrog May 15-22, 2005.

Since August 2002, when the Communiqué on Taganrog-Badenweiler Cultural Cooperation was signed within the framework of the First German Week in Taganrog, the two cities have been actively involved in promotion and preservation of Anton Chekhov International Literary Heritage. In 2004 a large-scale sister city project The First Russian Week in Badenweiler was realized during centenary celebrations of the International Chekhov Memorial Year 2004.

Badenweiler delegation met with German language students at the Taganrog Teachers College, with Heinz Setzer, Director of the literary museum Chekhov Salon in Badenweiler and Rolf Siegismund delivering a lecture before an audience of students. The guests from the partner city of Badenweiler were also present at the Regional Party at the Alferaki Palace, dedicated to the opening of Taganrog Festival of sports and athletics meetings and to the Days of Slavic Culture and Writing System in Taganrog held in Rostov Oblast. In his address, Mayor of Badenweiler Karl-Eugen Engler stressed the importance of extending the cultural relations with Taganrog in a way more global process by building a cultural bridge between Russian and Westeuropean civilizations, and he ended his speech with Russian words "Da Zdravstvuet Taganrog!" (Long Live Taganrog!).


The cooperation between Taganrog and its German sister cities is not limited by cultural cooperation and student exchanges. Meetings and negotiations were held between German experts - DEng. Hans Grybek, Senior Advisor to the Board of MAN Ferrostaal AG and formerly managing director of Ferrostaal Group of Companies; Norbert Fichtlscherer, Director of the Consulting Agency U.G.S.; Rolf Siegismund, expert for international tourism and Rostov Oblast and Taganrog businesses - Rostov Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Taganrog Interregional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TAGMET Iron & Steel Factory, Beriev Aircraft Company, Beta Air JSC, Software Technologies and AviaOK Intl..

According to the results of talks, both parties have expressed their mutual desire to develop economic cooperation between Rostov Oblast, Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Northern Switzerland and Alsace (France).

These steps will certainly be a connecting link to the future development of mutual trust and understanding between Russian and German people.