30 March 2009
Companies of Postavy region, Estonian Johvi Commune to establish direct contacts
MINSK, March 30 (BelTA) – The Postavy region of the Vitebsk oblast and Johvi Commune of Estonia have signed a cooperation agreement. The document provides for establishment of direct economic links between the enterprises, experience exchange in providing communal service and cooperation in the areas of culture, education and youth exchange, BelTA learnt from Consul General of Belarus to Tallinn Alexander Ostrovsky. The document was signed during the visit of a delegation of the Postavy region to the town of Johvi. The Belarusian delegation got familiar with the infrastructure and the work of the municipal services of the town, visited enterprises, cultural and sport facilities. It is the fifth cooperation agreement signed between Belarusian and Estonian regions over the last three years. The interregional cooperation is an important part of the Belarusian-Estonian relations. Deputy Chairman of the Postavy Region Executive Committee Nikolai Koval told BelTA that the agreement will give an impetus to the development of the bilateral relations on the regional level, will contribute to the closer cooperation in all the areas and the establishment of new business contacts, will help find partners to set up joint ventures on the territory of the region or to implement investment projects. According to Nikolai Koval, the Postavy region has signed similar agreements with towns of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Italy, the Moscow oblast and the Kursk region. In 2008, the foreign trade of the Postavy region totalled almost $35 million. The export rose 32.7% over 2007 to reach $21.7 million, the import increased 3.3 times up to $13.1 million.БЕЛТА