Imports increased by 27.5% to $421.3 million. The foreign trade balance was positive, amounting to $2.8 million (excluding the export and import volumes of goods from enterprises of republican subordination, oil, and petroleum products). The share of exports from residents of the FEZ "Vitebsk" in the total export volume of the region was 23%, and from enterprises without departmental subordination - 21.2%. Products of woodworking, cables, garments and knitwear, fire-fighting equipment, additives for lubricating oils, and other goods are supplied to foreign markets. Trade in January-September was conducted with 105 countries. Goods were supplied to the markets of 74 states and imported from 95 countries.

The members of the collegium intend to discuss the issue of developing joint information and telecommunication technologies, communication organization, and information security. The discussion will focus on the unification of software and hardware solutions, information exchange and storage formats, as well as the creation of modern digital radio communication systems for the benefit of internal affairs bodies in border areas, and the exchange of new educational and scientific developments in the field under consideration.

August 2, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. In the Vitebsk region, about 40 people drowned in July, the Vitebsk regional organization of the Osvod informed BELTA correspondent, according to operational data.

Currently, 642 km of heating networks have been replaced. The task set by the government to replace 609 km of heating networks by October 1 has been fulfilled by housing and communal services organizations by 105%.

In Vitebsk, the winners of the regional literary competition in honor of Y. Kolas and Y. Kupala have been determined, for which over 1,000 works were submitted. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Galina Danilova, director of the Vitebsk Central City Library named after M. Gorky.

The case of a pensioner who took hostages in the Senno district and killed one of them is being considered by the Vitebsk Regional Court. This was announced today at a press conference by the head of the Investigative Committee Department for the Vitebsk Region, Vladimir Shalukhin, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.