An agreement on cooperation between trade union organizations of the Pskov, Smolensk and Vitebsk regions for 2017-2018 was signed in Pskov

The agreement and the action program for its implementation were signed by Ivan Vozmitel, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Trade Union Association, Ulyana Mikhailova, Chairperson of the Pskov Regional Trade Union Council, and Evgeny Maksimenko, Chairman of the Smolensk Regional Association of Trade Union Organizations.

The document defines the main areas of cooperation in the sphere of protecting the labor and socio-economic rights and interests of workers in the adjacent regions, ensuring the guarantees of trade union organizations' activities, citizens' rights and freedoms, and the democratic principles of a social legal society. The parties agreed to assist trade union members in employment and social protection matters in the labor markets of the adjacent territories of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. The trade unions plan to prepare proposals for legislative and regulatory acts being developed that affect the interests of workers in the neighboring Vitebsk, Pskov, and Smolensk regions. Joint mass trade union events and actions are planned to be organized in defense of the socio-economic and labor rights of workers in the adjacent regions. Among the main points of the agreement is joint work on the creation of an association of trade union associations of the border regions of Russia and Belarus.

The plans for the implementation of the agreement include a joint meeting of the presidiums of trade union associations on the issue of promoting employment by trade union organizations, which is planned to be held in June 2017 in Vitebsk; holding the II International Spartakiad of Vitebsk, Pskov, and Smolensk trade union associations; participation of the Smolensk and Pskov delegations in the "Slavianski Bazaar" International Arts Festival in Vitebsk, participation of representatives of the Youth Councils of the Smolensk and Vitebsk trade union associations in the work of the "Trade Union Leader School" of the Pskov trade union association, and much more.

Ivan Vozmitel expressed hope that the cooperation, which has been developing with the trade union associations of the Smolensk and Vitebsk regions since 1991, will once again be

fruitful and will bring new options for the successful development of the trade union movement. "I think we will work well on the agenda for the upcoming period," added the Chairman of the All-Russian Society of the Blind.

After signing the agreement, representatives of the Pskov, Smolensk, and Vitebsk regions exchanged information on the current socio-economic situation and the development of the trade union movement in their regions.

Elena Ustinova, Press Service of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus for the Vitebsk Region.