On January 16-25, the Messe Berlin exhibition centre will host Europe's largest agriculture exhibition, International Green Week 2009.
The exhibition, being held for the 74th year, provides an opportunity for over 1,600 producers from 60 countries to present their agricultural, horticultural, and food products. About 430,000 visitors (over 100,000 of them experts), are expected to attend this year.
Russia has been taking part in the Berlin exhibition for 15 years. Its exhibitors will present investment projects, innovative agricultural technology and the country's best food products. Russia will have a pavilion (№ 2.2) of 6,000 square metres, while Russian participants will have about 2,200 square metres for their stands.
Twenty-three of Russia's regions will take part in the exhibition. One of the country's federal districts takes part in organising the Russian exposition every year. In 2006, it was the Central Federal District, in 2007 the Southern Federal District, in 2008 the Volga Federal District. This year, it will be the Northwestern Federal District, which is represented by six of its eleven regions: the republics of Karelia and Komi, the Vologda, Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Novgorod regions. Their stands will occupy 600 square metres.
The Central Federal District will be represented by Moscow, the Voronezh, Moscow, Ryazan, Tambov, and Tver regions; the Southern Federal District will be represented by Karachayevo-Circassia, the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, and the Volgograd and Rostov regions. The Republic of Buryatia and the Tomsk Region will act on behalf of the Northern Federal District; the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Perm Territory and the Saratov Region will represent the Volga Federal District, while the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area will represent the Urals Federal District.
The largest part of the Russian exposition, occupying one-sixth (1,000 square metres) of the Russian pavilion, is again represented by the Krasnodar Territory.
This year, the republics of Buryatia, Karelia and Komi, as well as the Leningrad and Novgorod regions, will take part in the exhibition for the first time.
The opening of the Russian pavilion and the presentation of Russia's regions will take place on January 16, on the exhibition's opening day.
The Russian exhibitors will offer a cultural programme, which includes performances of national ensembles, days of the regions' national cuisines and a souvenir fair.