Vitebsk offers Harbin to organize joint production of LED equipment

October 9, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Vitebsk proposes to Harbin to organize joint production of LED equipment. This was announced today at a meeting with Chinese journalists by the Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee Viktor Nikolaikin, BELTA correspondent reports. The Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Harbin authorities and the management of the Harbin Development Zone considered the possibility of creating production facilities in Vitebsk with Chinese capital participation several months ago, including the production of LEDs and LED equipment. The memorandum of intent has begun to be implemented, and now cooperation is reaching the level of specific enterprises, Viktor Nikolaikin emphasized. Thus, the private unitary enterprise "Elect" of the NGO "BelTIZ", which has sufficient technical and production capabilities to organize such production, is ready to act as a partner from the Belarusian side in the production of LED equipment. Within the framework of the agreements reached, information about the specified enterprise has been sent to the Harbin Economic and Technological Development Zone with an invitation to LED equipment manufacturers from the Chinese side to visit Vitebsk and familiarize themselves with the enterprise's potential. Another joint project is intended to be implemented by the legal group "Law and Order" and the administration of the Harbin Economic and Technological Development Zone. These companies have joined forces to study the possibility of opening an information and innovation technology park in Vitebsk. Viktor Nikolaikin is convinced that these projects will be realized and will form the basis for further economic partnership between the two twin cities. A cooperation agreement between Vitebsk and Harbin was signed in 2009, and a sister city agreement was concluded in January 2012, which formed the basis for subsequent contacts in various fields. Vitebsk's foreign trade turnover with China for January-July 2012 amounted to $63 million, which is 102% of last year's level. The volume of export supplies was $355.2 thousand, or 48.9% of last year's level. Import supplies exceeded $62 million, with a growth rate of 102.7% compared to the corresponding period of last year. -0-