BREST, 21 November (BelTA) – In January-September 2019, Brest Oblast increased its export to China 1.5 times, Brest Oblast Deputy Governor Andrei Klets told reporters on 21 November, BelTA has learned.
Over the nine months of 2019, Brest Oblast trade with China amounted to $123.9 million, up 1.2% over the same period a year before. Th export stood at $23.8 million, up 47% year-on-year. Brest Oblast exports nonfood and food products, including meat and dairy products, ice cream, rapeseed oil to China.
“Literally two weeks ago we sent a train with timber products to China. This is a new avenue of cooperation for us. The trade in rail transportation services along the new Silk Road is also on the rise, as Brest is a key juncture along this road. All in all, the export to China grew 1.5 times over the past year. I believe this is not a limit. We can still scale up our trade relations,” the vice governor said.
The parties are set to build cooperation not only in the economic sector, but also in the humanitarian field. Thus, on 21 November a memorandum of cooperation in culture and tourism with Shanxi Province was signed at the Brest Oblast Executive Committee. This is a third agreement of this kind. Similar agreements were earlier signed with Hubei Province and Anhui Province of China. A delegation from Shanxi Province is visiting Brest Oblast for the first time.
“We see many common interests, first of all, in the manufacturing industry and tourism. I believe that cultural tourism can pave the way for other avenues of cooperation. The first thing we should do is to have a close look at areas of common interest. We need to meet regularly, keep in touch and exchange contacts. We could launch new projects in the field of cultural exchange. Economy and trade hold a lot of promise, too. Every year, the province hosts an international environmental forum. Next year we will certainly invite our Belarusian partners to take part in it,” a representative of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference said.
Representatives of the Chinese province will be welcome at the forthcoming international classical music festival January Music Nights and the business match making session Brest 2020 that is due in April.
