Consul General John Stepanchuk Visited Ufa (Nov 2, 2005)
2005 Press Releases
Consul General John Stepanchuk Visited Ufa
November 2, 2005
On October 26 - 28 the U.S. Consul General John Stepanchuk visited Ufa for the first time. He met with the Prime Minister of Bashkortostan Rafael Baidavletov, who expressed interest in cooperation with the U.S. in such spheres as agriculture and tourism. Bashkortostan Minister of Foreign Relations Boris Kolbin stressed the republic's positive economic indicators as well as the as the importance of academic and cultural exchange programs. Two Deputy Mayors of Ufa Albina Yusupova and Ilgiz Nasyrtdinov updated the Consul General on the city's fast growing construction business and the real estate mortgage programs. Chief Mufti Talgat Tadjuddin talked about Islamic religious education and the growing number of mosques in the Bashkortostan. He expressed the commitment of the Central Muslim Spiritual Board to peaceful cooperation with other religious confessions in Russia.
The U.S. Consul General hosted a first-ever Iftaar dinner in Ufa with the support of the Spiritual Board of the Bashkortostan Muslims. Over 30 guests, including imams and leaders of ethnic communities, attended. The Consul General also presided over the opening of a photo exhibit devoted to John F. Kennedy and presented the Russian translation of Kennedy's Profiles in Courage to Ufa's America Corner. Many alumni from U.S. exchange programs attended this event.