MINSK, 15 May (BelTA) – The Minsk oblast council of deputies and the Lugansk oblast council signed an agreement of cooperation. The document was inked by Chairwoman of the Minsk oblast council of deputies Svetlana Gerasimovich and Chairman of the Lugansk oblast council Valery Golenko, BelTA has learnt. According to Svetlana Gerasimovich, the document outlines the main cooperation areas for regional MPs and will promote experience sharing, trade growth and development of cultural and social ties. Valery Golenko stressed the importance of all-round cooperation for Belarus and Ukraine at the regional level. Minsk and Lugansk oblasts have big prospects for boosting mutual trade. Ukraine is interested in Belarusian agricultural practices. Belarusian agricultural and dump equipment, products of the light industry and food are in great demand in Ukraine. Valery Golenko invited the Minsk oblast executive committee to visit Lugansk Oblast which is gearing up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Young Guards underground movement organization. The Ukrainian region is also expected to host an international investment forum in September which main theme will be agriculture. The Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Boris Batura thanked the Chairman of the Lugansk Oblast Council for the invitation and for the visit to Minsk Oblast, and noted that the friendship between the regions is growing stronger. Such meetings contribute towards higher trade and economic potential. Cooperation between Minsk and Lugansk is carried out within the framework of the agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation signed in 2003 by the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee and Lugansk Oblast State Administration of Ukraine. The regions develop twin-towns relations between cities and regions (Antratsity administration of Lugansk Oblast and Zaslavl Executive Committee of Minsk Oblast, and also between the Starobelsk District Administration of Lugansk Oblast and Nesvizh District Executive Committee of Minsk Oblast). In Q1 2012, trade between the two regions was over $10.5 million, up 2.1 times from the same period in 2011. Export reached nearly $1.2 million (up by 21.9% as against January-March last year). Imports rose 2.3 times up to $9.3 million. Major exports of Minsk Oblast to Lugansk were fertilizers, fiberboards, polyamides in primary forms. The imports were 600mm-wide flat-rolled products of alloy steel, flat-rolled carbon steel, oil-cake. In 2011, the foreign trade between the regions totaled $44.3 million (196.2% as against 2010), exports - $3.5 million (177.5%). The delegation of Lugansk Oblast is in Minsk Oblast on a visit on 15-16 May. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
