Apr 05, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. During the meeting of representatives of the industry, energy and science ministry of Sverdlovsk region of Russia and heads of Ural forest industry enterprises with director of Agency of the Czech business support ‘Czech Trade’ Michal Gelbich and president of Czech producers of wood-processing equipment Karel Svoboda, which took place on April 4, 2007, the Czech presented new wood-processing technologies and offered to execute full renewal of forest complex, according to the ministry. According to the head of the forest industry department of the regional ministry Andrey Mekhrenzev, the governor of Sverdlovsk region set a problem to develop enterprises on advanced wood- processing in the region. “We plan to stop roundwood export from the region in near future”, Mekhrenzev noted. In compliance with governmental decree “About investments projects of forest industry enterprises of Sverdlovsk region for 2006-2008” active re-equipment and implementation of state-of-the-art technologies of advanced wood-processing and furniture production has been started. If in 2002-2005 investments in forest sector were RUR 770 million, in 2006 only they totalled about RUR 700 million. This year Vyisky DOK (Nizhny Taguil) will complete construction of wood-processing mill with productive capacity 30 000 cubic meters of glued boards per annum. New plant producing complete low-rise houses with productive capacity of 250 sets per annum is to be built at Urallesprom. Czech companies intend to contribute to development of forest industry in Ural. According to Michal Gelbich, Czech wood-processing equipment is recognized as one of the best in Europe due to high quality and reliability coupled with reasonable prices. Karel Svoboda said that a contract is signed with Prostor in Volchansk for delivery of Czech sawing complex with productive capacity 230 000 cubic meters annually. Czech partners are confident it’s only beginning of mutual beneficial cooperation aimed at development of forest industry in Sverdlovsk region. In Mekhrenzev opinion, development of cooperation with Czech allows successful realization of a number of perspective projects on modernization and technical re-equipment of forest industry enterprises which will result in significant increase of efficiency of forest resources utilization in Ural.