WARSAW, 31 March (BelTA) – The Minsk oblast and the West Pomeranian province of Poland are set to sign an agreement on cooperation during a visit of a Minsk oblast delegation to Szczecin on 7-9 April. The Belarusian delegation will be led by the first deputy chairman of the Minsk oblast executive committee Viktor Shchetko. The agreement will outline the main avenues of cooperation between the two regions in social, economic and humanitarian areas. The Belarusian delegation will partake in the International Self-Government Forum. Attending the forum will be representatives of regional authorities from European countries. The forum is expected to highlight the economic and investment potential of the Minsk oblast, projects of regional cooperation within the Eastern Partnership initiative and other international programs. A conference at the Szczecin high school of tourism will feature a presentation of tourist potential and health farms of the Minsk oblast. Consul General of Belarus in Gdansk Ruslan Yesin told BelTA that both Belarus and Poland express a growing interest in inter-regional cooperation. The Mogilev oblast and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province, and the Gomel oblast and the Lubusz province have signed agreements on cooperation. In February 2010 Mogilev and Bobruisk hosted 4th Belarusian-Pomeranian regional economic forum. The joint events and business meetings are yielding the first results. For instance, Kuyavian-Pomeranian province is ready to support the projects on the international regional cooperation with the participation of the Mogilev oblast at the EU forum. The Polish public figures are interested in Belarus, Ruslan Yesin says. The diplomat has delivered a report on Belarusian-Polish inter-regional relations at the Contemporary Political Thought Club in Gdansk. The report highlighted Belarus’ foreign policy priorities and explained the meaning of the Belarus-Poland cross-border agreement. The report also touched upon the situation with the Union of Poles in Belarus. The club’s members, in turn, said that they are dissatisfied with biased opinion about Belarus in Polish media. The administration of the club said that they are ready for cooperation with Belarusian NGOs and want to invite Belarusian political analysts and experts to deliver reports before the club’s members. The Contemporary Political Thought Club brings together political and economic analysts, experts and scientists of the Pomeranian region. The organization holds conferences and workshops on social, political and economic topics. The creation of the club was initiated by ex-Marshal of the Polish Senate Longin Pastusiak. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
