Business news

GOMEL, 22 May (BelTA) – About 500 people from 21 countries will take part in the Gomel Economic Forum which will open in the oblast capital on 22 May, BelTA learned from the foreign economic affairs department of the economic committee of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee.

Partaking in the forum will be official delegations, representatives of embassies, banking and financial institutions, businessmen. Such industrial countries as China, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey are also interested in the event. Representatives of the Belarusian, Russian, Kazakhstani, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Moldovan government are expected to participate in the event. The oblast capital will bring together representatives of such countries as Vietnam, Venezuela and Lebanon. Delegations of Peru and Finland will take part in the economic forum for the first time.

Participants of the forum will be invited to implement over 100 investment projects. If interested, they will be able to join efforts with local businessmen and government authorities, or implement projects in 14 areas, including tourism, energy sector, wood processing, agriculture, themselves.

Participants of the plenary meeting will sign 14 documents to the tune of $276 million which will include agreements and memorandums of understanding regarding the implementation of investment projects in the region. In particular, there are plans to sign investment agreements between the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee and private Belarusian companies to set up a confectionery, a medical rehabilitation center with a children’s cafe in Gomel.

The Gomel Economic Forum was held for the first time in 2004. Since that time, it has evolved into a large-scale forum which is attended by hundreds of representatives of business and official circles from various countries. From 2008 to 2014 participants of the forum signed 56 agreements to the tune of $1.36 billion.