The Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has concluded more than 70 cooperation agreements with foreign partners

September 21, Vitebsk / Sergey Kotovichev - BELTA /. The Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has signed 11 cooperation agreements with regional chambers of countries near and far abroad since 2008. This was announced by the branch's General Director Valery Butkevich at the regional meeting of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry members, which took place today in Vitebsk, according to a BELTA correspondent. In recent years, the Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has intensified its efforts to establish direct contacts with partner organizations in other countries. Thus, during this period, cooperation agreements have been signed with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Penza (Russia), the Ukrainian Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Cherkasy, Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tavush region of Armenia, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Konya, Turkey. This work contributes not only to the development of good-neighborly relations between regions but also to the establishment and expansion of business cooperation between domestic enterprises and businesses of other countries, and to the entry of domestic producers into new sales markets, noted Valery Butkevich. In total, the Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has signed more than 70 cooperation agreements with foreign partners. This makes it possible to constantly increase the effectiveness of the branch's work in assisting enterprises of the Vitebsk region in finding business partners, diversifying product exports, and consolidating in new sales markets. Taking these tasks into account, the Vitebsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is constantly expanding the geography of business visits of representatives of Belarusian business. In recent years, such trips have been organized to Japan, China, Italy, France, Brazil, and a number of other countries. Active work with Russian regions is traditionally carried out. Weekend fairs in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Pskov, Tula, Kaluga, and Kursk are held with invariable success. Since 2009, the Vitebsk branch has intensified its work with Ukrainian partners. In addition, last year the branch held large-scale foreign economic events "Days of the Vitebsk Region in Daugavpils" and a presentation of the Vitebsk Region in Leipzig (Germany). In October 2010, a similar event is being prepared in Brescia (Italy). In the Vitebsk region, almost 150 economic entities are members of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which more than 80% operate in Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Novopolotsk. -0-