Delegations from Slovakia and the Chinese province of Shandong visited the Vitebsk region

A representative delegation from Slovakia, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, discussed with the regional leadership the details of investment proposals, the implementation of which is already underway or possible with the participation of capital from this Central European country. And on the eve of the regional center, a contingent from the Chinese province of Shandong landed with initiatives to develop industrial cooperation. The Vitebsk region is developing cooperative ties with partners from Slovakia most actively among Belarusian regions. This is the second visit of the head of government of this country to our region in the last six months. As noted by Oleg Matskevich, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, six joint projects in various fields are currently being implemented.

Effective interaction has been established for the pharmaceutical enterprise "Nativita" in the Beshenkovichi district and the project for the utilization and processing of electrical equipment, implemented by OJSC "Monolit" and the Slovak company BOMAT in the Orsha district. During the negotiations, technical details were discussed and possible financing schemes for promising cooperation proposals were worked out.

In particular, potential partners are considering the option of building the Beshenkovichi HPP entirely at the investor's expense (the investment volume is estimated at 130 million dollars) with subsequent operation during the payback period, after which it will be transferred to the Vitebskenergo system. Another option involves the creation of a joint venture.

Slovak investors are ready to join the construction of a waste processing plant in the Vitebsk region. At this stage, schemes for the subsequent use of thermal energy generated by waste incineration are being worked out. As an alternative, the possibility of organizing a waste sorting enterprise through direct foreign investment is being considered.

Two projects were initiated by Slovak partners. One of them includes the creation of a joint venture for the production of LEDs in partnership with OJSC "Vityaz".lamps. The second proposal is from the woodworking sector, which investors from Germany and Poland are ready to join. In addition, cooperation in the agricultural sector became a separate topic of negotiations.

– The Slovak delegation showed interest in a comprehensive program for the modernization of animal husbandry in the Vitebsk region, which includes the construction of 15 robotic dairy farms, 4 pig breeding complexes, as well as the creation of rabbit meat production, – noted Oleg Matskevich. These proposals are included in the agenda of the official visit of the Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov to Slovakia, which is taking place these days.

The delegation from Shandong Province came to the Vitebsk region not only with proposals to resume sister-city ties, established between the regions in 2005, but also to expand economic contacts.

During the reception at the regional executive committee, the head of the Chinese delegation, Deputy Head of the Foreign Relations Department of Shandong Province Li Rong, emphasized that the Chinese side is ready to establish contacts in the cultural and educational spheres, and also intends to promote the establishment of partnerships in the economy, including through the implementation of long-term projects. Among the specific areas of economic cooperation, representatives of the Celestial Empire proposed the cultivation and processing of medicinal plants.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee, Oleg Matskevich, the Vitebsk region is ready for cooperation with Chinese partners in creating a multimodal transport and logistics center in the Orsha district.

– It is planned to create a production facility for goods on the site in Bolbasovo, so we hope that representatives of Shandong Province will be interested in this project, – noted the Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee.

In addition, promising areas of interaction may include agriculture, in particular, vegetable growing, nutrient soils, as well as scientific support for the agricultural sector as a whole. Shandong is one of the most economicallyof the developed provinces of China, is the second most populous (97 million people).

According to Oleg Matskevich, it is necessary to leverage the potential for cooperation, as the region currently has few long-term contracts not only with this province but also with other Chinese regions. Based on the results of 2016, the trade turnover amounted to 48 million dollars, including exports of goods worth 6.8 million dollars.               

Sergey Antonov. Photo by Anton Stepanishchev. "Vitebskiye Vesti".