MOSCOW, 12 February (BelTA) – Russia's Penza Oblast is interested in developing industrial cooperation and implementing joint investment projects with Belarus, the press service of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia told BelTA following a visit to the Russian region by a Belarusian delegation headed by Ambassador Vladimir Semashko on 10-11 February.
During the visit, the Belarusian delegation met with Penza Oblast Governor Ivan Belozertsev. The governor noted that the region and Belarus are connected by long-standing trade and economic relations, cultural and spiritual closeness. "Our region has a balanced trade with Belarus: exports are almost equal to imports. The region's major exports to Belarus are food and agricultural raw materials, furniture and glass products, machinery and equipment, pulp and paper products. The region buys equipment and farm machines from Belarus," said Ivan Belozertsev.
"The governor indicated the interest of Penza Oblast in increasing trade and in implementing joint investment projects, in mutually beneficial ties and cooperation of industrial enterprises," the press service informed.
According to Vladimir Semashko, Belarusian enterprises will be working to strengthen cooperation with Penza Oblast in the field of agriculture and automotive equipment, primarily farm machines, and in housing and utilities. Penza Oblast is one of the Russian regions with which we have been working actively. We are impressed by your achievements in agriculture. We have a lot to offer. We have good developments in integrated mechanization of agricultural production. This industry has been developing effectively in Belarus," the Belarusian ambassador said.
In furtherance of the agreement on trade, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation between the governments of Belarus and Russia's Penza Oblast of 18 September 2015, the parties signed a protocol to increase trade, deepen production and cooperation ties, implement joint scientific and innovative projects, and to devise effective mechanisms to support and stimulate trade and economic relations. The parties pledged to take measures to step up mutual trade in 2021, to promote cooperation between industrial enterprises and companies of the agricultural sector, to intensify cooperation in the field of utilities and construction, to reconstruct transport infrastructure facilities, to provide mutual assistance in assimilating advanced technologies in solid municipal waste recycling and water treatment.
A tripartite cooperation agreement was concluded between the Ministry of Agriculture of Penza Oblast, MTZ-Tatarstan Trading and Manufacturing Company, and Penza State Agricultural University. In addition, the participants of the meeting agreed on the development of cooperation in healthcare, science, culture, education and youth policy, interregional cooperation between cities and territorial entities of Belarus and Penza Oblast.
During the visit, the Belarusian delegation together with the governor visited a number of industrial facilities in the region. The Belarusian ambassador attended a ceremony at the Monument of Military and Labor Glory to hand over a capsule with soil from the Brest Fortress. “The symbolic relic will be kept in the museum in memory of the Hero of the Soviet Union, one of the leaders of the Brest Fortress defense, the head of the 9th border outpost of the 17th Brest border detachment Andrei Kizhevatov," the press service of the regional government said.
