Cross-border economic cooperation
On December 19 this year, a scientific and practical conference "Modern Aspects of Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving in the Sphere of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the Smolensk Region" was held in Smolensk, with a delegation from the Vitebsk region participating in its work.
The event, organized by our eastern neighbors, was attended by representatives of the Department of Economic Development, Investment, Foreign Economic Activity and Entrepreneurship of the Smolensk Region, employees of the Smolensk regional branch of the interregional public organization "Association of Young Entrepreneurs", and the branch of the "National Research University "MPEI" in Smolensk.
The conference was opened by Valery Vasilchikov, Deputy Head of the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Tariff Policy of the Smolensk Region, who presented the regional program "Energy Saving and Increasing Energy Efficiency in the Smolensk Region".
The Vitebsk region, bordering the Smolensk region, was represented at the conference by Alexander Kravchenko, Head of the Vitebsk Regional Department for Supervision of the Rational Use of Fuel and Energy Resources, and Irina Makarenko and Olga Levshina, Director and Deputy Director of the State Communal Unitary Enterprise "Vitebsk Regional Marketing Center".
The role and essence of innovations in all spheres of economic activity, including energy saving, are attracting noticeable and constantly growing interest worldwide. "Innovations in Energy Saving: Successful Experience of Cross-border Cooperation of the Vitebsk Region" was the title of the report presented by our delegation. One of the main courses of economic development for every state is the reduction of the energy intensity of the gross domestic product.
One of those who have mastered the practice of cooperation between the Vitebsk region and the regions of the Russian Federation is KKP "Vitebsk Regional Marketing Center". As noted by the director of the enterprise, Irina Makarenko, the participation of economic entities in international and interregional exhibitions, forums, conferences, and business meetings provides an opportunity to demonstrate the achieved level of production development, solve issues of modernizing the material and technical base, promotes the promotion of goods and services to foreign and domestic markets, and attracts investors to our region.
The result of our delegation's participation in the Smolensk conference was even closer potential cooperation between our regions. In particular, the leadership of the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Tariff Policy of the Smolensk Region, as well as the heads of enterprises included in the "Energoeffekt-Smolensk" consortium, intend to take a direct part in the exhibition and conference dedicated to the topic of energy resource conservation, which will be held in Vitebsk in February 2013. Both regions are ready to further develop cross-border economic cooperation.
Olga Levshina.