Natives of Smolensk and Belarusians continue to develop good neighborly relations

The delegation of the Smolensk region led by the Deputy Governor Mikhail Pitkevich paid an official visit to the Republic of Belarus. Heads of executive authorities, municipalities, the regional chamber of commerce and industry, leading enterprises discussed the proposal with Belarusian colleagues in the Action Plan for cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Smolensk region for 2013

In the city Gomelin the Working Group discussed in detail issues related to housing and communal services, the development of the construction industry, the organization and management of roads construction. The delegation visited a number of infrastructure projects in Gomel, where it met with the construction of housing, resettlement of urban streets, yard areas and public places with the work of community facilities. Smolensk delegation familiarized itself with palace and park ensemble of Rumyantsev and Paskevich with waterfront Sozh that was very interesting in connection with the preparations for the 1150 anniversary of Smolensk.

Issues of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation became also the subject of conversation at a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Dvornik – the Head of Executive Committee of Gomel region and Mikhail Pitkevich.

Special attention was paid to the economic and social problems at the local level. In district Rechitsa - the capital of the Belarusian oil industry workers - was discribed to the guests programs of development of small towns and villages, ensuring of employment, organization of transport services and communication, investment policy and foreign trade, agriculture, work in other areas of the economy. For an introduction of coastal infrastructure in the urban area was given a tour by boat on the Dnieper River

A significant part incooperation of Smolensk region with Belarus takes an industrial cooperation in the field of mechanical engineering that is why the issues that are difficult to resolve at the enterprises level, were discussed at the working group meeting in Minsk.

Many problems of Smolensk industrialists are arising in connection with the activities of the national program of import substitution, when the Belarusian factories are forced onto the development and production of parts and mechanisms that had previously been supplied to Belarus from abroad. Work of a number of joint ventures in these conditions is complicated. However, there are positive examples. Thus, Russian Electro concern "RUSELPROM" and Safonovsk Electric Works successfully entered in the situation and in close integration with Belarus holding "Belkommunmash" suggested passenger bus-based on hybrid drive, not inferior to foreign analogues.

Taken into account all the proposals and suggestions voiced both by the Belarusian producers and by Smolensk representatives encouraged the first Vice-Governor Michael Pitkevich business leaders to have working meetings and consultations not only at the level of senior management but also by a group of experts which invited appropriate delegation to visit Smolensk.

Results of two-days meeting summed Smolensk delegation with the Minister of Transport and Communications Anatoly Sivak, the government decided that the country is in charge of cooperation between Belarus and Smolensk. The sides noted the high efficiency and the constructive discussions held on the basis of which will be substantially completed action plan for cooperation for the coming year.