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Opinions & Interviews

17 Apr 2013

Kalinin: Belarus economy will benefit from Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park

Kalinin: Belarus economy will benefit from Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park

SMOLEVICHI, 17 April (BelTA) - The Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park will have a positive impact on the economy of Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin told reporters as he visited the Minsk regional industrial park at Smolevichi.

Anatoly Kalinin is convinced that the industrial park project should be implemented. "It will not make any negative imprints on the economy. On the contrary it will do good,” he said.

Commenting on the public concerns over the project, Anatoly Kalinin suggested that they all come from the lack of information and knowledge.

This view is shared by the First Deputy General Director of the Industrial Park Development Company Kirill Koroteyev. “We understand the public sentiments,” he said in an interview with BelTA before the start of the public debate on the development plan of the Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park. “For Belarus this is the first project of its kind. So it is natural that some issues arise,” he said. he did not rule out setting up a public committee at the Industrial Park's Administration in order to reassure citizens. Its members will be able to voice suggestions, express their own views on behalf of the public. “We have an interagency agreement with the Chinese side, which stipulates that the Chinese partners will create a similar committee with Chinese experts. Nothing prevents us from creating a similar entity but involving the public representatives,” said Kirill Koroteyev.

The concerns of citizens are caused by the fact that in their view the industrial park will be eco-unfriendly. There is also a stereotype, distrust to China-made goods. "This is all in the past. Today China is developing in quite a different way,” he said. Moreover, the Government has established mechanisms of restrains and counterbalances. The Park will focus on such areas as electronics, biotechnology, precision engineering and others, which are actually clean manufactures. The Park Administration will not allow the manufactures undesirable for the country, Kirill Koroteyev assured. He also added that certain requirements are defined in the general plan.

Two weeks ago the materials on the construction project named “The General Plan for the Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park” were submitted to public discussion. The participants in the discussion could leave written comments and suggestions including those concerning the most efficient ways of the project implementation. They could also ask for professional and independent examination. On 17 April the organizer and developer of the general plan met with the public in Smolevichi District.

According to Kirill Koroteyev, the initial concept of the general plan was worked out by the Chinese corporations and research institutes that boast a wealth of experience in this area. On the basis of their recommendations the Belarusian specialists from the BelNIIgradostroitelstvo R&D company have worked out the general plan. The project pursued two major goals: firstly, to take into consideration the interests of the residents of the nearby settlements and, secondly, not to damage the environment and minimize the negative impact that could be caused by construction operations. “In my opinion, these two goals set by the developer have been successfully met,” said Kirill Koroteyev.

 

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