The German diplomat said that there are in Russia today over 500,000 Germans, 300,000 of them in regions of Siberia.
The consul said that trips in the consular district show that the regional authorities help the German diaspora to preserve national culture, language and customs.
According to the latest population census, there are about 6,000 Germans in the Irkutsk region.
RIA Novosti learnt from Alexander Meng, chairman of the regional public organization of Russian Germans, that German language courses, children's and adult music groups, a women's club are open in towns and districts of cis-Baikalia, a library of national literature is being set up. Linguistic summer camps for children are being organized on Lake Baikal shores.
Visiting the Irkutsk region, the German general consul met with governor Boris Govorin and local businessmen. They discussed cooperation projects.
Agreement has been confirmed to build a construction materials factory by a German company in the town of Usolye-Sibirskoe on the basis of the local gypsum field. It is planned to open in Irkutsk in June a center for improving the skills of workers in the wood-processing industry. German companies will supply equipment for the center.
The German general consul will next visit Barnaul. He has left for it from Irkutsk on Friday.
