SHCHUCHIN, 7 August (BelTA) - The congress of small towns serves not only as a platform for sharing experience but also for shaping a strategy for the further development of regions, Yelena Pasyuta, Chairwoman of the Grodno Oblast Council of Deputies, said during a press conference dedicated to the upcoming 4th Congress of Small Towns of Grodno Oblast of Belarus and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast of Russia, BelTA has learned.
“The congress is a unique technological platform that enables the exchange of experience and highlights the pressing issues faced by small towns in both Belarus and Russia. It allows us not only to share best practices but also to develop a strategy for regional development, ensuring people feel happy everywhere, whether in a small town or a major metropolis. They should understand that life thrives everywhere, and it can be both unique and of high quality,” Yelena Pasyuta said.
According to the chairwoman of the Grodno Oblast Council of Deputies, the congress will showcase the region’s scenic locations and introduce participants to industrial enterprises of interest to business communities, particularly small and medium-sized businesses. This, in turn, will foster collaboration and attract investments.
“These were among the key objectives we set when planning the congress," Yelena Pasyuta said. She also emphasized that the organizers are paying close attention to the inter-congress period, ensuring continuity in regional development efforts.
Andrei Dudkin, Head of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Representative Office in Belarus, echoed this sentiment, stating: “From the outset, our goal has been to focus on inter-congress activities. The congress itself serves to summarize the previous year's work and set new objectives.”
Andrei Dudkin emphasized the event's distinctive nature: “We didn't shift from economics to culture. The congress emerged organically from our active cultural and humanitarian cooperation with Grodno Oblast. This foundation naturally led to strengthened trade and economic relations.”
“We need to implement the positive experience accumulated over previous years, the expertise gained here in Grodno Oblast,” Andrei Dudkin said. “Thanks to our cooperation, our legislative assembly has introduced strong initiatives in youth policy development. We've also addressed numerous critical issues in municipal governance.” Andrei Dudkin added that collaboration with Grodno Oblast has given significant momentum to bilateral relations in agriculture and processing industries. “The congress has helped establish productive relationships between industrial enterprises of all ownership types, from small and medium businesses to large corporations. Substantial joint projects are already taking shape,” he said. According to Andrei Dudkin, systematic work has also begun in the tourism sector.
Ahead of the 4th Congress of Small Towns of Grodno Oblast of Belarus and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast of Russia, scheduled for 12-15 August, Russian media representatives participated in a press tour across the region. The itinerary included visits to key cultural and industrial sites in Slonim, Zelva, Volkovysk, Svisloch, and Shchuchin districts.
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