China’s Shandong Province delegation visits Vitebsk
VITEBSK, 13 May (BelTA) – Representatives of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee met with a delegation from China’s Shandong Province on 13 May, BelTA has learned.
“This is one of the most promising provinces of China with which Vitebsk Oblast develops interregional interaction. We already have substantial groundwork with this province. This is not the first time a delegation, including both government officials and business representatives, has visited us, seeking additional opportunities for cooperation with our enterprises. Today we actively use Chinese technologies in our food production and processing industries. We supply them with wood-processing products and peat. At the moment, our export performance is strong: in the first quarter alone, we grew by almost one and a half times,” said Dmitry Novatsky, Chairman of the Economy Committee at the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee.
He emphasized that the cooperation potential between Vitebsk Oblast and Shandong Province lies in joint work between industrial enterprises, scientific organizations, and institutions of culture, education, sports and tourism, as well as in creating the most favorable conditions for attracting investors. “Shandong Province is known for its agricultural production, while Belarus has extensive experience in manufacturing agricultural machinery and applying modern technologies. Given our competencies, we propose exploring cooperation in the agro-industrial sector, including the exchange of technologies, agronomic practices and crop breeding. Vitebsk Oblast has sufficient raw materials: timber, peat, mineral water and more. Cooperation is possible in their joint extraction, processing, production and sale of finished goods. Our enterprises are also ready to consider options for establishing joint production in various sectors: mechanical engineering, light industry, construction materials. Experience exchange in automation and modernization of production processes is also important,” Dmitry Novatsky noted.
The meeting also addressed cooperation in other areas. The parties discussed expanding the range of veterinary products, strengthening trade relations, including exports of Belarusian goods to Shandong (dairy products, machinery and other items) and imports of products manufactured in the province. “We propose investing in the reconstruction of certain health resort complexes and recreation facilities located in forested areas, as well as creating infrastructure in these resorts to serve Chinese tourists, for example, national centers of traditional Chinese medicine,” Dmitry Novatsky said.
On 13 May, the Chinese delegation will visit the Vitebsk Free Economic Zone, where it will present its products. Negotiations with Vitebsk Oblast manufacturers will also take place there.
