Italian business has shown interest in implementing investment projects in the waste recycling sector in the Vitebsk region

Major Italian businesses have shown interest in implementing investment projects in the Vitebsk region. In particular, in the area of waste processing.

This topic arose immediately after the start of negotiations between a business delegation from the Apennine Peninsula, including the First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Oleg Matskevich. Such an effective start to the dialogue was ensured by the high-quality preparation of organizational issues by the Vitebsk Regional Union of Employers (VOSN) and its Italian colleagues on the eve of the visit, which indirectly confirms the seriousness of the negotiators' intentions.

According to Adriano Pea, Director of the business association "Confindustria BLR", several companies from the Apennines are ready to develop cooperation with Belarusian partners in organizing facilities for sorting and processing municipal waste.

In the near future, it is planned to organize a meeting with Italian businessmen to discuss technological issues and possible project implementation options in this area, as well as financial support for the transaction, including attracting credit resources from European banks.

At the same time, the agenda of negotiations will immediately include issues of generating thermal energy from this raw material, noted the head of the Italian association.

In addition, Vitebsk partners have proposed several other potentially attractive areas for cooperation. First of all, this concerns projects based on the processing of local raw materials.

Vitebsk region has the largest peat deposits in Belarus, which allows for the creation of joint ventures based on them. The region is rich in timber resources, making cooperation in the field of wood processing and the organization of production of high value-added products potentially profitable. Meat and milk processing is another promising area for cooperation.

"Vitebsk producers manufacture products with a long shelf life for supply to capacious markets in distant foreign countries, particularly China and Vietnam, and mutual interest for cooperation can be found here," is confident Oleg Matskevich.

Currently, the main export products of Vitebsk producers are fiberglass, linen fabrics, and wood processing products. Industrial equipment is mainly imported from Italy. In addition, Vitebsk garment enterprises fulfill orders from the Apennine Peninsula. Hunting tours in the northern region of Belarus are popular among Italian tourists.

The annual trade turnover of Vitebsk region with the regions of Italy has been fluctuating around 50 million euros in recent years. To achieve more significant results, the Vitebsk Regional Union of Employers, the Italy-Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Confindustria BRL Association signed a memorandum of cooperation following a working meeting at the regional executive committee. The document creates a good basis for establishing primarily informational interaction, which in turn will create conditions for activating cooperation between businesses of the two countries, is confident Vladimir Turavinov, Chairman of the VROS.

Angelo Illardi, Chairman of the Italy-Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry: I expect,

that the memorandum will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of cooperation between the business circles of our countries.

He knows about the potential of Belarusian-Italian partnership not by hearsay. Over three years of heading the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he has thoroughly studied Belarus and is sincerely convinced that the results of trade and economic partnership can be significantly higher. To achieve this, it is necessary to establish an active dialogue between businesses, keep potential partners informed  about the innovations being developed, new products, and the needs of each other in certain goods and technologies. For this purpose, the association "Confindustria BLR" was created several months ago, uniting Italian companies doing business in Belarus.

At this stage, the common task of partner business associations is to promote mutual exchange of information between companies, which will create favorable conditions for cooperation, is confident Angelo Ilaridi.

One of the first large-scale joint events will be the participation of a delegation from the Apennines in the international economic forum "Innovations. Investments. Prospects," which is scheduled for May 16-17 this year.

The main economic event of the Vitebsk region is an effective platform for "Business to Business" events. A contact and cooperation exchange for Belarusian and Italian enterprises can be held there, noted Vladimir Turavinov.

In addition, business associations intend to organize seminars and conferences, and to promote the activation of investmentcollaboration, the creation of joint ventures and production facilities.

 Text and photos by Sergey ANTONOV, "Vitebskiye vesti".