The Ambassador of Poland to Belarus, Artur Michalski, visited Vitebsk.
With a first, introductory visit to Vitebsk, the Ambassador of Poland to Belarus, Artur Michalski, has arrived. During the meeting between the head of the diplomatic mission of the neighboring country and the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies, Vladimir Terentiev, priority areas of cooperation were identified.
Vladimir Terentiev noted that our region and Poland successfully cooperate in many areas. Poland is one of the main trading partners of the Vitebsk region; the region's trade turnover with Belarus's western neighbors ranks third, after Russia and the Netherlands, with exports significantly exceeding imports.
– There are 40 enterprises with Polish capital operating in the Vitebsk region, including large ones such as "Modern-Expo," which is involved in the production and sale of equipment for the retail, warehousing, and food industries. Last year alone, Polish investors injected about $3 million into the region's economy, – emphasized Vladimir Terentiev.
Vladimir Vladimirovich also added that 8 districts of the Vitebsk region have partnership relations with 10 regions of Poland. In recent years, a number of projects have been implemented in the fields of education, culture, and sports.
Last year, the Polish national ski team, which includes two-time Olympic champion Justyna Kowalczyk, trained at the roller ski track in Gorodok. In 2017, with the participation of the Polish side, a sailing school was opened in Braslav, and last year – a dormitory for athletes and instructors was opened there. And in the future, as Artur Michalski noted, cooperation in this area will continue.
By the way, the ambassador is fond of yachting, enjoys sailing himself, and has already been eyeing the waters of the Braslav lakes. Perhaps he will try them out at the upcoming "Dazhynki," having received an invitation from Vladimir Terentiev to the festival of agricultural workers, which will be held this autumn in Braslav.
Recently, a document was signed between Belarus and the UNDP, giving an impetus to the development of the tourism sector in our country. Poland is the main donor in this project. Its implementation, as Artur Michalski is convinced, will contribute to Poles discovering our country in a new way. Certain steps have already been taken. In Miory, as part of the "Polish Aid" project, a mobile campsite has been created, which will also be visited by young people from Poland.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of assisting social protection institutions in the Vitebsk region.
– Our peoples have much in common in historical and cultural heritage, we are close to each other, – emphasized the head of the diplomatic mission.
Artur Michalski took part in the opening of an exhibition of works by the Polish artist Aleksander Szturman, who lived in the 1870s – 1940s, at the Art Museum. It features paintings from the collection of the Podlaskie Museum in Białystok. These are a kind of picturesque postcards from the author's travels to different countries, focusing on the architecture of cities, primarily Polish ones.
Tatyana Pasternak, photos by Anton Stepanishchev, "Vitebskiye Vesti".