SINGAPORE can offer its expertise to Russia in terms of implementing innovative ideas and production unit construction, said a Russian governor on Friday.

'Russia is famous for its innovation, which is something we can offer to the world, but we are not so good in implementation of these ideas. So here we would like to have Singapore's help,' said Mr Valery Shantsev, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

'The necessity to create factories and some production units in Nizhny Novgorod region is obvious because if we only limit ourselves to the goods from outside, then it will be too expensive.

'We have to create our own production, so here we also need Singapore's expertise and Singapore's participation. We have all the required natural resources, we have land, and we have skilled workers,' he said.

Nizhny Novgorod is situated east of Moscow and is the fifth most populated and industrially developed city of Russia.

Examples of Singapore companies which have successfully ventured into Nizhny Novgorod include palm oil giant Wilmar International, which announced earlier this year that it would establish a US$136 million (S$2.05 million) joint venture firm with Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Fats and Oils Group and Ukraine's Delta Exports.

Technology solutions provider Tronic International has secured a wafer fabrication project to supply equipment, facilities and technology to a plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

Mr Shantsev said ties between the two countries could be further improved.

'Ties with Russia are still quite weak so we would like to strengthen these ties. More and more companies want to spread their activities worldwide so we would like to establish good relations between Singapore and Russia, to make it easier for business connections in both directions; from Singapore to Russia and Russia to Singapore,' he said.

Mr Shantsev also listed areas in which Singapore firms can invest in Nizhny Novgorod, namely the 'motor industry, IT industry, timber processing industry, chemical and petrochemical industry, automobile building, science and education.'

He also encouraged companies not to be deterred by the cold weather or language barrier.

'Most of our staff can speak English now. As for the climate, we have professionals from Africa, China, and none of them has found it a problem."

'If we talk about the Nizhny Novgorod region, the climate is rather mild. The cold weather is only for a short period of time and it's not very cold,' he said.