An agreement on cooperation for the project of creation and operation of the Vitebsk Region Industrial Park in China was signed in Vitebsk
A rich program will allow guests to assess the opportunities and achievements of the northern region of Belarus in various areas – from economy to culture. In addition, today, as part of the visit, an agreement on cooperation for the creation and operation of the Vitebsk Region Industrial Park in China was signed between the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee and the Chinese company Beijing Zhaongbai Business Management Co. Ltd. This became a logical continuation of the Memorandum of Cooperation, which the parties concluded in November of this year in Shanghai, where the delegation of our region presented its export and investment potential.
The agreement specifies concrete measures, thanks to which international contacts should soon reach a completely different level. Thus, the document prescribes to determine in the near future the city in the PRC where the headquarters of the Vitebsk Region Industrial Park will be located, as well as the date and format of the official opening ceremony. The head of the Chinese delegation, Mr. Lei Ma, explained that the location has already been chosen: one of the cities located near Shanghai has been proposed for the implementation of the project. Its annual GDP is about 200 billion dollars. So, enterprises of the Vitebsk region will have good opportunities for product presentation and development of mutually beneficial relations.
The Belarusian side will have to prepare a list of products that can be offered for export to China or purchased there. It is planned to form a special marketing team from representatives of the PRC on site, which will promote goods from the Dvina region in its country through the Vitebsk Region Industrial Park. In addition, within its framework, it was decided to create a Center for Large-Scale Procurement to assist enterprises in fulfilling large customer orders, providing services in financial support, logistics, industrial design, and so on.
Although the signed document concerns the expansion of cooperation in various fields, the primary focus is on economic development. This is precisely why the three-day program for the guests from China in the Dvina region included visits to many of our enterprises. Among them are the Orsha Flax Mill, the Vitba Confectionery Factory, the Polotsk Dairy Plant, Naftan OJSC, and a number of other manufacturers whose products may be in demand in the PRC market.
The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, emphasized that the host party has made every effort to accommodate the interests of the Chinese company and to introduce the delegation to the potential of the northern region of Belarus as effectively as possible.
— The analysis of our cooperation results in 2023 has shown broad opportunities not only in intensifying export-import operations but also in the implementation of projects by Chinese investors in various sectors, — said Alexander Subbotin.
He explained that today our enterprises purchase technologies, equipment in the field of radio electronics, pharmaceuticals, and mechanical engineering, polymer, chemical, and leather raw materials, and metals from China — all of this was discussed during the November meeting in Shanghai.
— There are many proposals, but choosing the most effective ones is quite challenging, — noted the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee. — In addition to supply, quality guarantees, compliance with technical regulations, and after-sales service are necessary.
The expansion of cooperation will undoubtedly open up new opportunities in this direction.
The head of the region separately touched upon the prospects for cooperation between the universities of the Dvina region and the technopark, which the Vitebsk delegation visited during their trip to Shanghai. Joint projects in the field of culture were also discussed.
"Vitebskiye Vesti"