Vitebsk region will take part in the V Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia
Today, we can say that the forum has become a hallmark of regional cooperation between Belarus and Russia, noted Marianna Shchetkina, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Republic and Chairperson of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the forum, in an interview with the media. After all, the number of commercial contracts and agreements signed within the framework of the event is growing every year. A total of over 930 million dollars worth of contracts have been concluded.
Following the results of the III Forum, the amount of contracts was about 300 million dollars, and following the results of the fourth forum, it exceeded 400 million dollars.
Within the framework of the V Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee plans to sign a cooperation agreement with the Administration of the Kursk Region, informed Alexander Tikhonov, Head of the Foreign Economic Activity Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economy Committee. The signing of bilateral documents between the regions of the fraternal states has already become a tradition and is important because it allows for the activation of interaction between organizations and enterprises.
The amount of export contracts signed within the framework of the preparation and holding of the forum should exceed 50 million dollars.
It is planned that the amount of export contracts signed within the framework of the preparation and holding of the forum will amount to 3612.2 million Russian rubles or 51.8 million dollars, which is 11.8 million dollars more than was concluded at the IV Forum of Regions.
By the way, according to the results of the first seven months of the current year, the trade turnover of the Vitebsk region with the regions of the Russian Federation amounted to 2 billion dollars with a growth rate of 130.1%. Products worth 517.4 million dollars were exported.
The value of supplies has increased in 28 regions and areas of the neighboring country. Cooperation has begun with Altai and North Ossetia-Alania. Excluding entities of republican subordination, oil and oil products, the region's enterprises have ensured a positive foreign trade balance of $37.8 million.
The structure of foreign trade remains stable. The basis of export supplies consists of goods from chemical, light, and food industries, as well as products from woodworking and machine tool manufacturing, and other sectors that have long proven themselves in the Russian market, said Alexander Fedorovich.
Polyethylene, fiberglass, acrylic cord, clothing, footwear, furniture, MDF boards, building materials, dolomite, peat, linen fabrics and products, carpets and floor coverings, meat and dairy products, and fruit and vegetable products are exported.
Commercial enterprises export cable products, items for transportation and packaging, medicines, vaccines, furniture, lubricant additives, fire extinguishers, profiled sheets, polycarbonate sheets, and equipment for water filtration and purification.
Head of the Foreign Economic Activity Department of the Executive Committee's Economics Committee, Alexander Tikhonov: It is important to create export-oriented enterprises for the production of high value-added products in cooperation with Russian partners within the region.
— Business entities of the Vitebsk region are ready to offer Russian partners any mutually beneficial areas of cooperation,— emphasized Alexander Tikhonov. — It is important to create export-oriented enterprises for the production of high value-added products in cooperation with Russian partners within the region, to fully and effectively utilize the rich resource potential of the northern region, its unique natural conditions, transport and logistics capabilities, and scientific and human resources.
The main event of the V Forum will be a plenary session on the topic "Priority directions of regional cooperation development as a key factor of integration and union building".
Sections will operate in five main areas: agrarian policy, unification and harmonization of legislation, digital economy, youth policy, international activities and economic security.
Traditionally, business meetings and negotiations will be held within the framework of the forum, with the participation of heads of regions, heads of companies and enterprises of the two countries, and a meeting of the Interparliamentary Commission of the Council of the Republic and the Federation Council of Russia on interregional cooperation.
In addition, the program includes the Integration and Cooperation Week, a youth forum, a gathering of student teams, the Union State Spartakiad for children and youth, an ice hockey tournament, a joint meeting of the women's unions of the Mogilev and Tula regions, a craft fair where masters of decorative and applied arts will present their products, as well as performances by amateur folklore groups from Belarus and Russia.
The delegation from the Vitebsk region will include heads of exporting enterprises and tourism organizations. Trade and tasting will be organized for guests at the regional venue. The best creative teams of the Vitebsk region will demonstrate their talent.