Directions of cooperation between Vitebsk region and the Republic of Crimea were discussed in the regional executive committee
This was stated today by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, during a working meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea – Permanent Representative of the Republic of Crimea to the President of Russia, Georgy Muradov.
— I hope that this meeting will be the beginning of a joint path based on common historical heritage. We have plenty to do together – from developing economic contacts to restoring and expanding humanitarian ties, — emphasized the head of the region. He hopes that during the current visit, the mutual desire to cooperate will be "adorned" with specific proposals and details of future joint projects in various fields. Moreover, in the near future, there will be an opportunity to discuss them during the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, which will be held in Grodno in July this year, as well as at the International Festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" – Alexander Subbotin conveyed an official invitation to the Crimean delegation directly at the meeting. A significant event for establishing and expanding economic interaction will be the traditional International Economic Forum in Vitebsk, scheduled for autumn, noted the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Anzhelika Nikitina. She also proposed developing sister-city ties at the district level, creating an appropriate contractual basis for this.
As Georgy Muradov noted, the transport and logistics sector can become the most important area of economic cooperation. Today, it is critically important for Belarusian companies to overcome the gap in supply chain logistics, establish new procurement channels, and ensure uninterrupted production of industrial goods by reorienting supply channels for components. For this purpose, the developed port infrastructure of Crimea can be used, where the problem of capacity utilization still persists. The economic entities of the Vitebsk region can be provided with the capabilities of 8 ports, including Kerch, Feodosia, etc., which are currently being transferred to the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport of Russia. This provides the shortest access to the markets of North African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as access to Iran and a number of other states.
Undoubtedly, tourism, including health and cultural and educational tourism, can become one of the most sought-after areas of cooperation.
The possibilities for expanding cooperation were discussed in more detail during a series of working meetings between the delegation of the Republic of Crimea and the heads of departments of the regional executive committee, the administration of Vitebsk, and organizations of the region.