The Vitebsk Regional Council and the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region have concluded a cooperation agreement.

November 16, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies and the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region have concluded a cooperation agreement. The document was signed today in Vitebsk by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, Alexander Atyasov, and the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region, Andrey Epishin, BELTA correspondent reports. The cooperation agreement between the legislators is the first experience for both the deputies of the Vitebsk region and their colleagues from the Tver region. "In the agreement, we have outlined the main areas of activity: interaction of regional legislative bodies, exchange of legislative bases, promotion of initiatives of local council deputies that contribute to fruitful cooperation between the regions. Priorities in the economic and social spheres are also outlined, including through the improvement of legislation," explained Alexander Atyasov, answering a question from a BELTA correspondent. According to the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council, such cooperation between deputies will contribute to more fruitful work of the Parliament of the Union State. "Our agreement is a continuation of the good relations between Belarus and Russia within the Union State," emphasized Alexander Atyasov. He is convinced that the contacts between deputies will strengthen the economic ties of the two regions of Belarus and Russia. The Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region, Andrey Epishin, noted that the Tver and Vitebsk regions are similar in the structure of their economy and social sphere. Legislators of the Tver Region are interested in studying the experience of the Vitebsk Region in developing the agro-industrial complex and in establishing contacts between universities and youth organizations. "The agreement outlines the main directions of our cooperation, which will be successfully developed," is confident the head of the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region. According to the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Economy Committee, the foreign trade turnover of the Vitebsk Region with the Tver Region in January-September 2012 amounted to $9 million, an increase of 26.3% compared to the same period last year. Exports amounted to $6.9 million, imports - $2.1 million, with a positive balance of $4.8 million. The main export items from the Vitebsk Region to the Tver Region are finished luminaires of various classes, which account for 16% of all supplies. Oils, distillates, polyethylene, fiberglass, ceramic bricks, and expanded clay aggregate occupy a significant share in exports. Dairy and meat processing enterprises, OJSC "KIM", and Orsha Linen Mill are actively working in the Tver Region market. According to economists, the development of industrial cooperation in the production of electrical appliances, luminaires, and lighting equipment using components from the Tver Region and the production of finished products at enterprises in the Vitebsk Region can be promising for the two regions. This cooperation can be supported by the creation of industrial holdings that address issues of both joint production and product promotion within the framework of the Customs Union. -0-