Russian delegates visit U.S.

A group of American Council of Young Political Leaders from Russia explored the Mississippi Gulf Coast today. They came here to learn about our political system and how the government system functions, along with taking in the Gulf Coast scenery.
It was a picture perfect moment for six young political leaders from Russia, posing downtown in Gulfport on day two of their tour in South Mississippi. Member Yuri Sharov said, “I’m very impressed by the warmth and hospitality that we saw in our very brief stay in Gulfport because we’ve been here less than 24 hours and we could already tell that people that we met here are very nice and very welcoming.”
On the heels of their first stop in our nation’s capital, the group received a warm South Mississippi welcome from Gulfport’s top officials, including Mayor Billy Hewes who knows what it’s like to walk in their shoes.
Hewes traveled to Japan years ago as part of the American Council of Young Political leaders program. He says it’s a program that helps young people globally bloom into the political leaders and ambassadors they want to become. “When you travel and broaden your horizon perspectives, it fosters a better understanding not just early in their careers, but hopefully down the road as they rise and get involved in their community and country.”
Each delegate gets a firsthand look at how political and government systems function. “We’re of course interested in both the federal and local infrastructure and I believe it would be extremely important for us also to share the information about Russia and Russian society,” said Sharov.
Representative Hank Zuber is a past delegation member. He explains that the organization is an eye-opener to different cultures. “It stressed to me how much we have in common, regardless of natural boundaries and different country boundaries. We have so more in common than we do differences and that’s what is stressed by the organization and that’s what I learned being a part of the organization.”