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15 April 2019, 18:55

Minsk, Tashkent might become twin towns

MINSK, 15 April (BelTA) – The Minsk City Hall has plans to expand cooperation with Tashkent across all the areas and to sign a twin-town agreement, Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Hall Artem Tsuran told reporters as he met with a delegation of the Tashkent municipal administration on 15 April, BelTA has learned.

“The cooperation between our cities took off in 2018. We hope to sign another set of agreements in 2019 with a view to becoming twin towns in the future,” Artem Tsuran said. According to him, one of the tasks is to make the Minsk brand more visible, to advertise its sports and tourist offerings. “Our partners are also interested in our expertise and knowledge in education and healthcare. As far as the real economic sector is concerned, we will discuss establishment of joint venture and expansion of the existing ones,” he added.

He also told the delegation about the days of national cultures that are held in the Upper Town of Minsk and invited the partners to consider joining the project. Artem Tsuran believes that cultural, sports and educational partnerships will be the best way to strengthen cooperation between the cities and to promote economic cooperation.

The delegation led by deputy head of the Tashkent municipal administration Dilbar Nazhmutdinova is in Minsk on 15-18 April. The head of the delegation noted that the Belarusian president's visit to Uzbekistan last year gave a fresh impetus to interstate relations. She expressed hope that the forthcoming Uzbekistan-Belarus investment forum will provide another opportunity to step up bilateral contacts. The trade between Tashkent and Belarus rose to $86.5 million in 2018. Tashkent is home to 32 companies with Belarusian capital: AmkodorAgrotekhmash, Belpharm, MAZ-Tashkent and others.

At the meeting the guests pesented the investment and tourism potential of the city. The head of the main directorate of economy and integrated development of Tashkent Narimon Ismoilov noted that the city has recently become especially open for investors. He drew particular attention to the successful launch of the TashkentCity project on large-scale development in the heart of the capital featuring a large park, hotels, offices, business centers, housing areas and pedestrian boulevards. Many investors are attracted by the benefits and preferences granted in 11 free economic zones and eight small industrial areas. Customs administration and conditions for small business are improving. Tourism is picking up steam thanks to the visa free access for citizens of 65 countries and a simplified visa regime for nationals of 78 countries.

Following the meeting, the parties signed an agreement on cooperation in trade, economy, science and culture. “The areas of interest include agriculture, production, and commodity trade. We hope that we will outline other areas of cooperation during the visit,” Narimon Ismoilov added.

The guests are set to visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, a number of enterprises and organizations, including Belkommunmash engineering company, Kommunarka confectionery, Minsk city Technopark, Minsk research center of surgery, hematology and transplantology. The Tashkent officials are also set to meet with the head of the construction and investments committee of the Minsk City Hall Aleksandr Nekrashevich, and director of the center for information technologies Maksim Bardovich.

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