MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. The Innoprom international industrial exhibition in Yekaterinburg gave a significant boost to the development of relations between Russia and Indonesia and to the expansion of economic cooperation, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergey Tolchenov said in an interview with TASS.

"I can say that it is quite rare for Indonesia to serve as a partner country for such a major international event. Therefore, I am confident that this will yield more than just an immediate impact, but will continue to influence our bilateral ties for a long time, and we will be able to cite our participation in this year’s Innoprom as an example of the high level of our relations," he said as he shared his impressions of the exhibition held in Yekaterinburg.

The scale of Innoprom offers a glimpse into the potential of Russia, as well as the Ural Federal District and specifically the Sverdlovsk Region and the city of Yekaterinburg, the diplomat noted. "You know, it just so happened that this was my first time in Yekaterinburg, and, to be honest, I was impressed. I managed to see a bit of the city, and I can say that the exhibition is truly a major, important event," he said.

"I am therefore very pleased that the idea of inviting Indonesia as a partner country, which once seemed if not exactly strange, but not entirely obvious, has been realized. I believe the Indonesian pavilion enhanced this exhibition, and I hope this will indeed serve as another step toward expanding economic, investment, and trade cooperation between our countries," Tolchenov added.

There is a lack of information and understanding regarding the vital role the Ural Federal District plays in Russia’s economy and the magnitude of its industrial and innovation potential, the ambassador said. "One could explain all this for hours, but this is truly a case where seeing is believing. It is excellent that we had the opportunity to show a representative Indonesian delegation in a tangible way what they could gain from cooperation with the Sverdlovsk Region and the area at large," he stressed.