GRODNO, 31 January (BelTA) – Grodno Oblast has everything in place to expand cooperation with Russia in tourism, trade, investment and upgrade of manufacturing facilities, Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Karanik told reporters following his meeting with Russia's Consul General in Brest Oleg Murashev on 31 January, BelTA has learned.
“As far as economic cooperation is concerned, the Russian Federation accounts for more than 50% of the region's exports. Many of our enterprises cooperate with large Russian manufacturers. We export a lot of food products, including dairy products, there. Yet, we can do much better. We should jointly promote our products and eliminate administrative barriers in mutual trade,” Vladimir Karanik said. He emphasized that Belarus-Russia projects to create new production and new jobs are underway in Grodno Oblast. Russian capital accounts for about half of investments in the region's economy.
Tourism is another promising avenue of cooperation. “Sanatoriums of Grodno Oblast are very popular with Russians. Yet, there are many other places where joint investment can give a boost to domestic tourism,” Vladimir Karanik noted.
Another topic for discussion was preparations for the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia that will be hosted by Grodno Oblast in 2022. It is important to flesh out the forum with specific objectives to further intensify business cooperation between the countries. The meeting also discussed joint defense of the Union State, another relevant issue given the global instability.
