Festival time creates a favourable atmosphere not only for recreation and cultural exchange but also for expanding contacts and strengthening business cooperation. This was discussed during working meetings between the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, and the heads of the diplomatic missions of Brazil and China in Belarus, which took place on the eve of the official opening of the cultural forum.
Festival time creates a favourable atmosphere not only for recreation and cultural exchange but also for expanding contacts and strengthening business cooperation. This was discussed during working meetings between the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, and the heads of the diplomatic missions of Brazil and China in Belarus, which took place on the eve of the official opening of the cultural forum.
For His Excellency Mr. Bernard Jorge Leopoldo de Garcia Klingl, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Belarus, this trip marked his first official visit to the Vitebsk region. In addition to negotiations with Alexander Subbotin, the Ambassador participated in the opening of the exhibition "Rendezvous with Brazil" at the Art Museum, which commenced on July 12. The trip's itinerary also included visits to UP "Polymerkonstruktsiya", ChUP "Vitstroytekmash", and the Orsha Linen Mill.
In recent years, cooperation between the Vitebsk region and Chinese regions has maintained a consistently positive development dynamic. The theme of deepening interaction became the leitmotif of the meeting between Alexander Subbotin and His Excellency Mr. Xie Xiaoyong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus.
In 2023, enterprises of the region are continuously visiting China in search of necessary equipment and modern technologies. For example, in May, a business mission was organised for enterprises of the Vitebsk concern "Meat and Dairy Products" to establish contacts with manufacturers of modern packaging materials, meat deboning lines, and energy-saving freezing units.
At the beginning of summer, a delegation from the Vitebsk region participated in the Harbin Fair. As reported by the Economics Committee of the Regional Executive Committee, following the trip, Vitebsk manufacturers have secured agreements for negotiations in the third quarter of the current year with enterprises in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors. Agreements have also been reached for Chinese companies to visit the Vitebsk region to familiarise themselves with the modernisation needs of the region's dairy industry enterprises. In early June, representatives of a Chinese machine-building company visited the Glubokoye and Vitebsk meat processing plants, as well as the Glubokoye Condensed Milk Plant. Vitebsk processing enterprises are currently exploring technologies for producing ice cream powder, powdered milk in tablet form, confectionery, ultra-pasteurised milk, and milk with a long shelf life. Furthermore, in 2023, two private companies were registered in the Orsha district intending to develop chicken paw production for the Chinese market.
Interregional ties, which are also actively developing, create a strong foundation for strengthening economic cooperation. Among the partner regions with which sister city ties have been established are Heilongjiang, Shandong, Guizhou, and Jiangxi provinces, as well as a number of cities and administrative districts within provinces.Furthermore, following the visit to Harbin, Novopolotsk and Daqing have expressed interest in establishing similar relations.
Delegations from Guizhou and Heilongjiang provinces participated in the economic forum events in Vitebsk in May 2023. Memoranda of cooperation were signed with enterprises of the meat and dairy industry and the Dubrovno Flax Mill.
Since 2021, the number of contacts between universities has increased significantly, with each university in the region now having established ties with at least five universities and colleges in the PRC provinces. In 2023, representatives of all universities visited China on business trips, and at this stage, issues concerning the increase in the number of students and undergraduates from China are being processed. Additionally, the possibilities of establishing a Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vitebsk are being discussed with Guizhou province university.
Cooperation agreements have also been signed with the China-SCO Demonstration Zone of Qingdao, whose sister city is Orsha. This has laid the foundation for discussing the content and terms of implementation of interregional programs and the organization of business missions for business circles. Visits of delegations from Shandong and Jiangxi provinces to the Vitebsk region are already planned before the end of the current year.
