Business news

“As we are neighbors, we must remember that the economy focused on external trade can be developing only simultaneously with the development of foreign economic ties. It is worth saying that logistics plays an important role because of the transport impact on the price of the product. The cooperation of Vitebsk and Smolensk is beneficial; therefore, it is needed to promote mutual presence of our goods and services produced by our companies in Smolensk and vice versa,” the chairman of the Vitebsk City Hall.

Viktor Nikolaikin noted that he is concerned about the decrease in Vitebsk-Smolensk bilateral trade. In 2014 the trade made up $138.6 million, in 2013 it was $175.5 million. In January-May 2015, the bilateral trade fell by almost 50% from $56.6 million to $28 million. “Therefore, we must look for the ways to step up work, engage enterprises and organizations, revise the demand of our neighbors for our products. When a number of enterprises found out that the mayor of Smolensk arrives in Vitebsk, they expressed wish to meet with him because the market of this city is very interesting. Not all of them were able to come today, we hope for more visits in the future,” Viktor Nikolaikin added.

Smolensk Mayor Yevgeny Pavlov pays a working visit to Vitebsk on 29 July. This is his first visit as a mayor of the city. After the meting in the Vitebsk City Hall he is expected to visit the company Fortex – Water Technologies, the manufacturer of water treatment technologies. He will also visit the Vitebsk-based confectionary Vitba, the new residential district Bilevo.

In the evening he will have an excursion to the Victory Square and the Park of Victors, the historical center of the city, visit the Assumption Church and the art museum, the Summer Amphitheater, the Alley of Fame and the museum of Slavonic Bazaar.