Vitebsk and China's Jinan are ready to expand cooperation in economy, culture, education, and sports

April 10, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Vitebsk and the Chinese city of Jinan are ready to expand mutual contacts in various fields and develop cooperation at a new, higher level. This was stated today by the Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the People's Representatives Assembly of the Chinese city, Mu Luyang, after the signing ceremony of the agreement on establishing sister city relations between the cities, BELTA correspondent reports. The foundation of the relationship between the Belarusian and Chinese cities was laid by successfully developing contacts in the field of education, Mu Luyang noted. The signed document will promote the expansion of interaction and cooperation between Vitebsk and Jinan in various fields, especially in economy, culture, and sports, he believes. "This meets the interests of our peoples," Mu Luyang emphasized. The partnership agreement will allow the cities to move on to the implementation of specific projects, primarily in the educational sphere, said the Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Leonid Kovalev. The document provides for joint sports competitions, exchange of experience among medical workers, teachers, and coaches, as well as mutual visits of student delegations. In addition, the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine is interested in admitting Chinese students. The guests were offered to work on attracting Chinese capital for the creation of a traditional Chinese medicine health center in the regional center. In 2009, Vitebsk plans to host the joint youth forum of youth creativity "Belarus-China" with the participation of young people from Jinan. Chinese schoolchildren will be guests of the international children's plein air "Vitebsk - City of Marc Chagall" in July-August 2009. Chinese partners invited the Vitebsk delegation to the international exhibition "Horticulture," which will be held in September this year in Jinan, and are ready to provide about 3,000 sq.m. of exhibition space for the organization of the Belarusian exposition. Chinese guests are also ready to host representatives of Vitebsk at the International Children's Festival in July 2009. During the one-day visit, the Chinese delegation will visit the Vitebsk State Technological College, the Summer Amphitheater, and the Ilya Repin Museum-Estate "Zdravnevo." Guests from the Celestial Empire will take part in the opening of the exhibition of drawing and decorative and applied arts "Belarus-China" at the aesthetic education center "Maladzik" of Children's Art School No. 3, and will get acquainted with Belarusian folk traditions at the city center of folk crafts and arts "Zadvine." -0-