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Italy looks forward to effective cooperation with Belarus as part of Silk Road

MINSK, 29 April (BelTA) -  Italy looks forward to effective cooperation with Belarus as part of the Silk Road global initiative, Vice President of Italy's Senate Paola Taverna said during a meeting with Vice Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Marianna Shchetkina, the press service of the Belarusian upper house of parliament said.

“I am sure that our relationship can get a new momentum and receive further development within the framework of the Silk Road project,” Paola Taverna noted. According to her, the level of mutual trade between countries is a good basis for the further strengthening of Belarusian-Italian cooperation.

For her part, Marianna Shchetkina noted that in 2018 the trade between the countries amounted to almost $913 million, which was up 15% over 2017. However, this is not the limit, she said. Belarus is home to 263 companies with Italian capital. “We would like to see this number grow, our investment cooperation develop and joint projects implemented,” she said.

The parties also discussed humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. Marianna Shchetkina thanked Italy for supporting Belarus in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. “You country provided us a very big support and hosted about 90,000 Belarusian children on recuperation holidays,” she said.

Marianna Shchetkina expressed confidence that the ties between the countries will continue to develop successfully, including through interparliamentary cooperation. “Interparliamentary dialogue contributes to the strengthening of friendship between the two countries, promotion of trade and economic cooperation, joint projects,” she said.

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