Vitebsk region and Łódź Voivodeship are expanding interregional cooperation

Vitebsk district and the municipality of Gomunice, Senno district and Goszczanów, Shumilino district and Maków, Polotsk district and Zgierz, and Gorodok district and the city of Opoczno will develop partnership ties in the trade, economic, social, and cultural spheres. In addition, the Ushachi district and the municipality of Tomaszów Mazowiecki signed a protocol of intent for cooperation.

Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Oleg Matskevich noted that the expansion of interaction between regional administrations will contribute to the intensification of cooperation between the Vitebsk region and the Lodz Voivodeship as a whole. "We signed a partnership agreement back in 2009, but until recently, it was mainly cultural exchange. At the current stage, we have agreed to focus on the economic sphere, which is what we are directing both district authorities and business representatives towards," he said. First and foremost, the parties will need to expand trade ties and increase mutual turnover, which is why such meetings are necessary.

The Polish delegation included 13 businessmen. As part of the visit, a contact and cooperation exchange was organized with the participation of about 40 managers of enterprises and organizations of the Vitebsk region interested in finding partners from Poland. In addition, representatives of Polish business visited a number of enterprises in Orsha and Vitebsk, including the "Vitebsk" free economic zone. "Without such meetings, without establishing economic ties, we will not be able to advance in other areas of interregional partnership," Oleg Matskevich is convinced.

The Chairman of the Regional Parliament of the Łódź Voivodeship, Marek Mazur, has no doubt about the productivity of the visit, which will have positive results for both sides. "We have received a great many proposals for cooperation, so the partnership between the Vitebsk region and the Łódź Voivodeship will actively develop," he said. Sharing his impressions of the trip with journalists, Marek Mazur particularly emphasized the warmth and hospitality of Belarusians. "We have been in the Vitebsk region for three days now, and every day we are presented with surprises, introduced to something new for us, changing our perception of the country as a whole. We have seen modern enterprises that meet European requirements. And the hospitality of the people is simply amazing," the chairman of the parliament noted.

The delegation of the Łódź Voivodeship included heads and representatives of local self-government bodies, as well as leaders of enterprises and organizations. During the visit, the Polish guests familiarized themselves with enterprises in Vitebsk and the Orsha district to establish mutually beneficial cooperation in the food and light industries, physical culture (sports equipment and gear), security systems, building materials and pipeline systems, ecology, as well as in tourism.

BELTA, photos from open sources.