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Dairy export, flowers, Chinese medicine. Grodno Oblast governor on Belarus-China forum of regions

At the first Forum of Regions of Belarus and China Grodno Oblast concluded 20 agreements on cooperation in the spheres of investment, trade, and humanitarian affairs. The region has been maintaining productive relations with Gansu Province of the People’s Republic of China for more than two decades. The forum took place in the city of Lanzhou, Gansu Province. Grodno Oblast also became one of the organizers of the massive event from the Belarusian side. Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Yuri Karayev told BelTA about the new mutually beneficial prospects this forum opened up for Grodno Oblast as well as about concrete agreements and signed contracts.

Yuri Khadzhimuratovich [Karayev], Grodno Oblast was among the organizers of the first Forum of Regions of Belarus and China, which took place in the Chinese city of Lanzhou. What results did we achieve?

The Forum of Regions of Belarus and China has produced significant practical results for Grodno Oblast: 20 agreements covering the spheres of investment, trade, and cooperation in humanitarian affairs have been concluded. In accordance with the tasks set by the Belarus president, the emphasis is placed on applied, effective work directly on the ground.

The Grodno Oblast Executive Committee has been maintaining mutually beneficial relations with Gansu Province for two decades and acted as one of the organizers of the forum. Over these years our cooperation with Chinese partners has gone an impressive way from warm friendly ties to a solid, “iron” brotherhood and has become a reliable foundation for massive and promising joint projects.

Grodno Oblast ships to China not only raw materials, but also high-quality finished products: from polyamides and timber to rapeseed oil and beef. Traditional Belarusian goods deserve special attention: dairy products, flax, crystal, natural juices, and fruit purees.

Please share the atmosphere that prevailed at the forum. How can it be used to judge the level of our relations?

The hosts of the forum in Lanzhou are very hospitable people characterized by high organization standards. They created all the necessary conditions for us: they thought through the organization of the flight, events, rest, and recovery. We spent about 24 hours over there, and everything was so competently planned that we managed to accomplish a great deal. We met with the party leadership and economic leadership of the province, and also worked in thematic panel sessions: humanitarian specialists communicated with humanitarian specialists, representatives of free economic zones with their partners, and representatives of enterprises with their colleagues.

The mentality of the Chinese people is in many ways similar to ours: business interaction is not limited to business alone. Control by the authorities plays a major role. Officials from both sides introduced those whom they brought along, which gave the forum not only a businesslike aspect but also a special touch. Confidence was felt that the process is under state control, and the agreements will be executed.

We also managed to visit the local history museum in Lanzhou, learned about the history of the place, and got acquainted with the geographical and civilizational peculiarities of the region. About two hours were devoted to this, even to the detriment of sleep, but such opportunities are rare. Walking along the streets and feeling the atmosphere is very pleasant, useful, and informative.

In what spheres does the cooperation of Grodno Oblast with Gansu Province develop most successfully?

Gansu Province is a region with well-developed agriculture, logistics, and the production of building materials. Grodno Oblast is strong at food production and at processing. All this contributes to the mutual replenishment of the markets of Grodno Oblast and Gansu Province with the products of our regions, to the conclusion of direct trade contracts between interested commercial entities on the shipment of goods to the markets of Gansu Province and Grodno Oblast, and to an increase in the volume of trade turnover of a broad range of food products and agricultural raw materials.

Our ties in the education sphere are strong. Back in 2018, during a visit of a Gansu Province delegation to Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, a center for Gansu Province personnel internship was solemnly unveiled. In 2025, an international center for language and cultural exchange and a Chinese-Belarusian base for vocational and technical education practice were established and operate jointly with Chinese partners at the Lanzhou Modern Vocational College. Delegations, staff, and students are exchanged and scientific projects are implemented within the framework of the cooperation agreement with Lanzhou City University.

Cooperation in the healthcare sphere develops actively. In 2017 the construction of the center of traditional Chinese medicine was completed in Grodno. The project was implemented as part of the execution of the Belarus president’s directive No.5 “On the development of bilateral relations of the Republic of Belarus with the People’s Republic of China”. The pandemic had an effect on the center’s operation, which was suspended. After the pandemic ended, representatives of the leadership of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee and healthcare institutions met with a Chinese delegation at the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee. Matters of resuming interaction were discussed. Thus, we are talking about introducing elements of Chinese folk medicine into the field of rehabilitation. The region has received an opportunity to more broadly practice such methods of traditional Chinese medicine as acupuncture, reflexology, and laser therapy for health recovery. Today a number of agreements are in force that allow specialists from China to work in our healthcare institutions and our doctors to undergo internships in Chinese clinics. At the Forum of Regions of Belarus and China a cooperation agreement was signed between the People’s Republic of China’s Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Grodno City Polyclinic No.7.

Please, tell us about the most significant agreements with Chinese partners concluded by Grodno Oblast at the forum. Concrete contracts are among the arrangements. Can you provide more details about them?

The Forum of Regions of Belarus and China opens a new stage in the development of investment cooperation between the regions. During the forum eight agreements of intent to invest in the economy of Grodno Oblast were signed.

Thus, in the healthcare sphere cooperation agreements were concluded on establishing an international center for resort recreation and Chinese medicine healing on the territory of the special tourist and recreation park Augustow Canal, and on establishing an international medical and health cluster on the basis of Grodno Oblast health resorts with the integration of traditional Chinese medicine methods.

In the sphere of wholesale trade and logistics an agreement was reached on setting up a modern greenhouse complex for growing flowers in Grodno Oblast. Agreements were concluded on the acquisition of an agribusiness enterprise by the Chinese side as a property complex and on the development of agricultural production as well as on attracting investments into the development of an industrial enterprise.

Apart from that, three foreign trade contracts were concluded: on the export of dairy products, on the shipment of equipment, and a strategic agreement regarding the implementation of an investment project.

Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno established new links and took steps to develop the already existing ones with educational institutions of China. An agreement was concluded on the implementation of a project to establish the Chinese-Belarusian educational center Bei Li Workshop. A roadmap on establishing a Confucius Institute was signed in addition to documents on cooperation with Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, and Lanzhou Modern Vocational College for the study of culinary arts.

In what spheres did the Chinese partners express the greatest interest in cooperation with Grodno Oblast?

Interaction proceeds successfully in all areas, but several spheres stand out without a doubt. Trade, investment, and industry form the core foundation. The signed agreements of intent demonstrate the interest of the Chinese side in utilizing the advantageous geographical position of Grodno Oblast, which is located at the junction of two integration associations: the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. The Chinese side showed interest in establishing a railway logistics hub in Grodno Oblast on the territory of the free economic zone (FEZ) Grodnoinvest. Interest in establishing a modern industrial production facility as well as implementing investment projects in the sphere of agriculture was confirmed.

Special interest is generated by the implementation of projects in the tourism sector. Chinese investors are considering the possibility of building a tourist complex utilizing traditional Chinese medicine methods on the territory of the Augustow Canal. Mutual interest is traditionally shown in the humanitarian sphere. Cooperation in this field is no less dynamic and covers education, healthcare, sport, and tourism.