19 June, Vitebsk /Alena Tikhonova - BELTA/. The situation in the regions vividly characterises the socio-economic situation in the country. Andris Grinbergs, a correspondent for the newspaper "Latvijas Avīze", shared this opinion with Belarusian journalists during a press tour of the Vitebsk region, as reported by BELTA correspondent.
"It is interesting to see how and what Belarusians live by in the regions. This is a very important indicator of the country's development. We have a very rich and diverse programme, which includes familiarisation with both culture and economy. Agriculture is of particular interest. For both Belarus and Latvia, this sector is key, so it is curious to compare what we have in common and how we differ," the journalist shared his plans. He also emphasised that he is well acquainted with Belarusian agricultural machinery, as it receives good reviews from Latvian farmers.
Andris Grinbergs is a regional correspondent for one of Latvia's most popular newspapers. He has been in journalism for 50 years, but this is his first visit to Belarus as part of a press tour. "Before this, I was in Minsk once in the 70s. The press tour is just beginning, but it is already clear that the impressions will be very different. 40 years ago, Belarus struck me as grey and uninteresting. Modern Vitebsk greeted us with bright colours; it is a cosy, well-kept city with its own character," noted Andris Grinbergs.
The journalist stressed that a visit to the grave of Jānis Rainis's mother is of particular interest to him in the programme of his stay in Vitebsk. "Jānis Rainis is a great Latvian poet. Visiting his mother's grave is very important to me. I also write poetry (three poetry books have already been published) and have been participating in Jānis Rainis literary festivals for many years," said the journalist.
The press tour for Latvian journalists is scheduled for three days. In Vitebsk, representatives of 10 media outlets from the neighbouring country attended a meeting at the city executive committee, visited Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant OJSC, and were given a sightseeing tour and an introduction to the historical part of the city. On 20 and 21 June, foreign journalists will visit Polotsk, Novopolotsk, and Braslav.-0-