Elizabeth Goryunova, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer WTCU; Nikolay Kurts, The Chairman of the Commission on Regulations and Deputy Ethics; Lane Beattie, President of the Salt Lake Chamber; Jenny Greer, Deputy Executive Director, National Peace Foundation; Ivan Chaika, Vice-Chairman of the Interparliamentary Assembly, Deputy of Krasnodar Region; Liana Dimitroshikina, The Chair of Izhevsk Public Chamber, Chair of the Municipal Parliament Committee on local governance, information policy and public relations; Yarygin Grogoriy, Assistant Professor, St. Petersburg State University, School of International Relations.
(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah business community recently hosted a week long Russian Legislative Delegation including regional, municipal and federal legislators that visited Utah to learn about accountable governance and state legislatures. The program was administered by the National Peace Foundation and included legislators representing Izhevsk (sister city of Salt Lake City), Bryansk, Perm region, Krasnodar region (home region of 2014 Winter Olympic Games), Irkutsk and St.Petersburg.
Delegates were welcomed by the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Mr. Spencer Eccles. During meetings with the leaders of GOED, Salt Lake Chamber, World Trade Center Utah, EDCU, Utah Fund of Funds, the Russian legislators were introduced to the structure of the United States government and learned about the collaboration of federal and state govenments with the business community. They explored the possibility of joint business, trade and diplomacy projects between their respective regions and Utah, as well as learned about Utah Olympic experiences and legacy. The legislators were introduced and warmly welcomed to the Utah State Senate and House of Representatives, visited the Utah Supreme Court, met with Salt Lake County Mayor Corroon and Salt Lake City Mayor Becker. They met with the Salt Lake City Council members, got an opportunity to observe meetings of the Salt Lake County Council, House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standing Committee, Business and Labor Senate committee, participated in a discussion with the Legislative Research and General Counsel offices and learned about using new media and technology in the legislative process.
Members of the delegation visited United Way of Salt Lake and learned about community projects, strategies, policy making and other aspects of the NGOs activity. While touring the Columbus Community Center they discussed the differences and similarities in approach to serving people with disabilities in Russia and in the United States. Visiting Welfare Square helped the delegates to understand the role of religion in the community in general and of the LDS Church in particular, with its various charitable contributions to the world.
Highlights of the visit noted by the delegates included the Music and the Spoken Word performance at the Tabernacle and meeting Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz. In addition to the extremely intense program of activities, the delegates experienced outstanding warmth and hospitality from numerous host families that opened their houses and hearts to the Russian visitors. At a farewell dinner, the delegates expressed their heart-felt gratitude to these families and coordinators of the project and promised that they will carry back to their homeland the many newly-established friendships and appreciation of the warm, open and hard-working people of the United States.
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