(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-27 09:46

HONG KONG - Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma arrived in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday and started the "Hong Kong Week" promotion in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Wednesday.

The secretary, leading a business delegation organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), visited the Expocentr - Russia's largest operator and organizer of international trade shows and congresses as well as one of the leaders of exhibition industry in Eastern Europe, the department said. They had meetings with the First Deputy Director General of the Expocentr, Nikolay Gusev, to share experience and explore scope of future cooperation.

To tap the immense potential of Russia's outbound tourism market which is one of the fastest growing ones in the world, Ma also attended a dinner meeting with the Russian tour operators organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). He introduced the wide range of attractions and exotic experience Hong Kong offers as the tourists' choice destination and encouraged them to work with the HKTB to develop tour programs that suit the Russian market.

According to the department, Ma will officiate at the Opening of the "Style Hong Kong in Moscow" Exposition and Extravaganza Gala Dinner presented by the HKTDC on Wednesday. The mega scale trade show participated by more than 200 Hong Kong companies will bring top-notch quality products of lifestyle directly to Russian trade buyers amid a blooming consumer market, while the Gala Dinner will present Hong Kong's style and elegance through fashion shows and product parades.

Ma will fly to St. Petersburg on Thursday to continue the week-long promotion tour.