The Smolensk region is interested in the work of Vitebsk construction organizations on its territory.

16 April, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. The Smolensk region is interested in having construction organisations from the Vitebsk region operate within its territory. Specific proposals for cooperation were voiced today in Vitebsk at a meeting with Eduard Demyanov and Anatoly Diulin, Deputy Chairmen of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, by Mikhail Pitkevich, First Deputy Governor of the Smolensk Region, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

Currently, the Smolensk region has compiled a list of facilities for which funding is available for construction. This list includes schools, kindergartens, and utility sector facilities (boiler houses, water pipelines, sewage treatment plants, etc.). There is also a need for the reconstruction of residential buildings. "At the same time, we do not have strong state or private construction organisations that we can rely on," stated Mikhail Pitkevich.

He proposed that the leadership of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee implement a mutually beneficial project for long-term cooperation in this area. In particular, local authorities could identify a number of construction organisations with sufficient capacity and interest in long-term work, which would then, under the auspices of the Vitebsk and Smolensk Regional Executive Committees, undertake the construction of specific facilities in the Smolensk region. Mikhail Pitkevich estimated the annual volume of work that the Russian region could offer its Belarusian partners at over 1 billion Russian roubles in value, emphasizing his interest in long-term cooperation. He invited a delegation from the Vitebsk region to visit Smolensk as soon as possible to discuss specific construction projects and make a final decision on the allocation of facilities.

Mikhail Pitkevich also noted that with such a joint approach and official oversight of work in the construction sector by both Belarusian and Russian sides, the risks for Vitebsk construction organisations of encountering unscrupulous partners would be virtually eliminated.

During the discussion of this issue, Eduard Demyanov showed great interest in the project implementation. In this regard, he scheduled the visit of the Vitebsk delegation, comprising representatives of local authorities, relevant departments, and heads of major construction and road organizations, for the second half of May. Prior to this, the region will thoroughly review the construction sites proposed by the administration of the Smolensk region and identify the construction organizations that will be assigned to them. "This is a mutually beneficial project, and we unequivocally intend to work on it," Eduard Demyanov told a BELTA correspondent after the meeting.

The delegation from the Smolensk region is currently visiting the Vitebsk region to discuss issues related to the production of crop products by Belarusian organizations and the construction of infrastructure facilities in the Smolensk region. A visit to the Rudakovo OJSC dairy farm and greenhouse complex, as well as the Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant, is also planned. -0-

News of Belarus (BELTA)