Vitebsk discussed prospects for the region's cooperation with the European Union
As noted by the Head of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Belarus, Dirk Schuebel, since 2016, the EU's assistance package to Belarus has amounted to 31 million euros. This is twice as much as in previous years.
The EU and Belarus maintain a regular dialogue on a wide range of issues. Negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission agreements were recently concluded. In addition, Belarus can now cooperate with the European Investment Bank, and interaction with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has significantly expanded. Belarus also utilizes the Twinning instrument, which allows government agencies to cooperate directly with their counterparts in EU countries to address specific current challenges.
This meeting will lay the foundation for new partnerships.
Vitebsk region is an active participant in projects funded by the European Union aimed at the sustainable development of the region in the areas of tourism, energy efficiency, green economy, healthcare and social integration, environment, and entrepreneurship. In terms of the number of cities that have joined the Covenant of Mayors, Vitebsk region leads among other regions of the country. Eleven settlements have already become participants in the European initiative on climate and energy: Braslav, Verkhnedvinsk, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Glubokoe, Dokshitsy, Novopolotsk, Orsha, Polotsk, Tolochin, Sharkovshchina.
— Vitebsk region is the only region in the country that borders both the EU, in the face of Latvia and Lithuania, and the Russian Federation, — noted the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Oleg Matskevich. — On the one hand, we can develop cross-border cooperation, and on the other hand, we can be a bridge for interaction with the Eurasian Economic Union.
— For many years, local and regional development has been an important component of EU-Belarus cooperation, — said Berend de Groot, Head of Cooperation Programmes at the EU Delegation to Belarus. — The new project is about local economic development. Its budget is €7.7 million. It is being implemented in 12 pilot districts of the republic as part of a larger programme called SPRING "Stimulating Private Initiative Development in Belarus".
— We have already created a local joint action plan for the development of small and medium-sized businesses for Braslav and Orsha, — added the EU representative in the Republic of Belarus, Alexey Vavokhin. — The first competition to support entrepreneurship infrastructure has been held. The Orsha Centre for Youth Entrepreneurship applied and received funding of €100,000. By the end of next year, for the first time, the EU will provide specific financial instruments for direct support of start-ups in small and medium-sized businesses. The budget for the competition is €300,000. We will also try to create a social impact fund in the field of social entrepreneurship. We want to attract businesses to solve societal problems.
A new regional development project, currently being developed with the Ministry of Economy, is the Belarus Regional Investment and Competitiveness Programme (BRIC) with a budget of €18 million. It is expected to pilot the implementation of new regional development methodologies and support economic growth centres in three regions of the country — Gomel, Mogilev, and Vitebsk. The involvement of local expertise is also important in this work. The programme is expected to start next year.
The participants of the meeting were presented with projects implemented with the participation of the Polotsk District Executive Committee, "BELMED", "Erasmus", the initiative "From an Inclusive School to an Inclusive City" (Novopolotsk), an overview of the results of the "Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy" in Belarus and the Vitebsk region, the Latvia—Lithuania—Belarus cross-border cooperation program, opportunities for women in business, and more.
Vitebsk became the third city where regional information meetings were held within a year on the initiative of the Delegation of the European Union.