Opinions & Interviews

Anatoly Kalinin pointed out the importance of inter-regional cooperation for the enhancement of all-round Belarusian-Chinese ties. He emphasized that a legal framework has been worked out to promote Belarus-China regional cooperation. Agreements on regional cooperation with Chinese provinces have been concluded by all regions of Belarus. The relations between Grodno Oblast and Gansu Province have long history and are increasingly vibrant. In November 2003 the Grodno department of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Gansu Province department of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade signed a cooperation agreement. An agreement on the establishment of relations between Grodno Oblast and Gansu Province was signed in July 2007.

Belarus’ experience of regional cooperation with certain regions of China shows that thanks to the attention of regional administrations, systematic and comprehensive efforts of partners to establish and promote ties, this cooperation is very productive, helps bolster bilateral ties and, first of all, develop mutual trade, new investment projects, Anatoly Kalinin said.

Liu Weiping, in turn, stressed that the mechanism of inter-regional cooperation will help increase the volume of bilateral trade between Belarus and China several times.

The meeting also focused on the achievements of cooperation between Belarus and Gansu Province. These include joint ventures to assemble MTZ tractors and Gomselmash harvesters established in Gansu Province in 2014-2015. The participants of the meeting also touched upon the delivery of Belarusian quarry equipment, the establishment of facilities to produce alternative energy elements, electric engines and generators which can be exported to the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union from Belarus, financing of transport and infrastructure projects in Grodno Oblast.