Events

17 Mar 2026

Organization of first Belarus-China forum of regions discussed with Chinese ambassador

GRODNO, 17 March (BelTA) – Grodno Oblast is intent on advancing cooperation with regions of the People’s Republic of China in manufacturing sector, agriculture, investments, education, science, tourism, and other spheres. Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Yuri Karayev mentioned it as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan, BelTA has learned.

The program of the visit of the head of the Chinese diplomatic mission to Grodno Oblast includes trips to Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, the Neman Glass Factory, and the Ozerny sanatorium. One of the key topics for discussion was the organization of the first Belarus-China forum of regions. The event is scheduled to take place in Lanzhou, Gansu Province in June 2026. Konstantin Burak, Aide to the President and Inspector for Grodno Oblast; Andrei Boltrik, Deputy Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee; Andrei Khmel, Chairman of the Grodno City Executive Committee; and Dmitry Rozhkov, Head of the Administration of the Free Economic Zone Grodnoinvest, took part in the meeting.

“Our dialogue opens up additional opportunities for cooperation with the Chinese side, the foundation of which was laid in 2007 with the signing of an agreement on establishing interregional ties between Gansu Province and Grodno Oblast,” noted Yuri Karayev. “Our long-standing interregional relations have reached the level of a strategic partnership. The organization of the first forum of regions of Belarus and China and the addition of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee to its organizers is underpinned by the deep ties between our sister regions. The focus is on economic and investment cooperation. We have identified prospects for collaboration to implement joint projects in Grodno Oblast. Initiatives are being developed in logistics, the development of warehouse infrastructure, transport and logistics hubs, and multimodal transport. In manufacturing and agriculture there is interest in establishing joint manufacturing facilities and introducing advanced technologies that China is famous for.”

The head of the Belarusian region emphasized tourism as an area of mutual interest, specifically the creation of hotel complexes and tourism infrastructure as well as the development of wellness and eco-tourism. Yuri Karayev emphasized that Grodno is one of the most attractive tourist cities in Belarus and the region has seen an increasing number of travelers from China in recent years.

An important area of cooperation is education and science. This involves implementing joint projects for training and internships for specialists in various fields as well as sharing the best practices among educators. Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno is interested in opening a Confucius Institute.

“I am very glad to visit Grodno Oblast,” said Zhang Wenchuan. “We have already had an opportunity to see Grodno and noted its beauty and cleanliness. The large number of historical and cultural monuments has made a deep impression on us.”

The ambassador noted that cooperation between regions of China and Belarus has been developing well in recent years. More than 50 provinces and cities in the People’s Republic of China have sister-city relationships with cities and regions in Belarus. Mutual visits are organized every year and cooperation in various fields is on the rise.

“If we talk about the future, we can strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, logistics as well as education, culture, and tourism. All these areas are of mutual interest. Two Chinese provinces and four cities maintain sister-city ties with Grodno Oblast and maintain very close contacts. The president of Belarus has formulated the ‘Strong regions – strong country’ principle. We are also ready to focus on regional ties. There is even more room for cooperation opening up before us,” the Chinese ambassador stated.