The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee has concluded 17 major investment projects worth approximately $100 million in six months.

July 15, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee has concluded 17 major investment projects worth about $100 million in six months, Oleg Matskevich, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, told a BELTA correspondent. Legislation grants the Regional Executive Committee the right to represent Belarus and conclude agreements on the most significant investment projects. The agreements signed this year provide for the implementation of proposals for the reconstruction of existing production facilities, the construction of modern shopping, cultural and entertainment centers, and roadside service facilities. Answering a question about the expediency of frequent investment forums, Oleg Matskevich expressed confidence that holding regional investment forums is one of the effective forms of attracting businessmen to the region. At the forum, an investor gets the opportunity for direct and continuous contact with all organizations involved in the project and can immediately receive consultations on land allocation or lease, property, equipment, customs and tax payments, and banking services. The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee considers another advantage of business forums to be the opportunity for domestic enterprises to be aware of investors' interests. "Forums allow us to assess investors' needs, their cooperation options, and promptly adjust our proposals," he added. The growth of investors' interest in the Vitebsk region will be facilitated by Belarus's participation in the Customs Union (CU), Oleg Matskevich is confident. Since July 6, the import of any goods into the territory of Belarus automatically means that the goods enter the CU territory and can subsequently move freely to Vladivostok or Astana. The Vitebsk region has become a participant in one of the largest European transport projects, the "West-East Green Corridor," which is designed to study the possibilities and conditions for the unimpeded transportation of goods from the Baltic Sea ports to the ports of China. The project involves 6 states and more than 50 participants. According to Oleg Matskevich, the region's participation in this project itself will attract investors' attention to the region.