Alexander Subbotin: "The Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia symbolizes the aspiration of Belarusians and Russians for further development in friendship and cooperation"
More than a quarter of a century ago, a treaty on the creation of the Community of our countries was signed in Moscow. This was the first document that opened up new opportunities for the political and economic integration of our states after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the subsequent years, the election of the Parliamentary Assembly, the signing of the treaty on the creation of the Union State, and the adoption of a program of action by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to implement its provisions became significant organizational and legal milestones on the path of rapprochement.
Vitebsk region is the closest region to Russia, with which strong trade and cultural ties have been established. Cooperation is carried out with all federal districts of Russia, which amounts to 80 regions. In 2023, business visits were carried out to Volgograd, Pskov, Saratov, Smolensk, Kursk, and Lipetsk regions, Stavropol Krai, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. In February of this year, thematic expositions of the Vitebsk region were presented at the Belarusian pavilion at VDNKh.
A number of major projects involving Russian capital and investors are being implemented. "Polimerkonstruktsiya" is a successful example of cooperation. The enterprise manufactures equipment for water treatment and wastewater disposal for more than 20 regions of Russia. And this is just one example out of many.
Alexander Subbotin noted that active preparations are currently underway for the XI Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, which will be held in Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Novopolotsk. As part of the preparations, 78 commercial contracts have already been signed by business entities of the Vitebsk region.
For a millennium, Belarusians and Russians have been bound by a common destiny, unified ethnic roots, and kinship of national character, culture, and spiritual life. The Belarusian-Russian brotherhood was tempered and tested for strength on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, when our peoples, as part of a single multinational state, together defeated the brown plague.
“The destiny and history of our countries are in our hands,” emphasized the head of the region. “We are increasingly convinced that such a consolidation of state, social, and cultural resources creates a more dignified life for our peoples and gives us more confidence in the future.”