BREST, 3 April (BelTA) – Brest Oblast is open to dialogue, and the visit of the region’s delegation to Russia’s Leningrad Oblast will give a strong impetus to further mutually beneficial cooperation, Brest Oblast Governor Piotr Parkhomchik said during a meeting with Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko on 3 April, BelTA has learned.
Piotr Parkhomchik noted that the Russian Federation remains the key foreign trading partner for Brest Oblast and for Belarus as a whole. In recent years, cooperation between the regions has shown steady positive growth.
In 2025, trade between Brest Oblast and Leningrad Oblast reached $133.3 million, an increase of 12.8%. Exports amounted to $71.2 million, imports to $62.1 million, with a positive balance of $9.1 million. “Our exports mainly consist of clothing, cheese, sugar, butter, fish products, beef, vegetables, and household appliances. Imports include fabrics, hydrocarbons, fish, lead, and paper,” he said.
Positive trends continue in 2026: in January-February, trade reached $17.6 million. Over the past five years, mutual trade with Leningrad Oblast has tripled and exceeded $480 million. “I am confident that these figures are far from the limit, and the potential of our regions can ensure even higher results in trade and economic cooperation,” Piotr Parkhomchik added.
He also highlighted the tourism potential of Brest Oblast. The region is a leader in organized tourism: in 2025 it welcomed more than 1 million tourists, 95% of whom were Russians. Recently, the National Center for Patriotic Education of Children and Youth has opened in Brest. More than 500 children from Russian regions have already visited it. “I would like to invite children from Leningrad Oblast to take part in the center’s programs,” the governor said.
Convenient logistics support the development of contacts: there is direct rail and air service (two flights per week) between the regions. An increase in the number of flights is being considered during the high tourist season.
The Brest Oblast delegation included leaders and representatives of key organizations and industrial enterprises, including the Brest Free Economic Zone, the Brestmyasomolprom holding company, and Brestmash. The program of the visit featured tours of enterprises and participation in a contact and cooperation exchange, where both parties expect to expand existing partnerships and establish new areas of cooperation.
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