Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 9 February (BelTA) – Belarus and Georgia need to develop interregional cooperation, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Viktor Guminsky said when commenting on the meeting with the Georgian parliamentary delegation on 9 February, BelTA has learned.

"We have agreements between the sister cities: Minsk-Tbilisi, Polotsk-Tskhaltubo, Brest-Batumi. Interregional cooperation is very important for us because it enables cultural enrichment and exchanges, the development of relations in the industrial field,” Viktor Guminsky said.

He noted that when serving in the Soviet army he lived several years in Georgia. "I have the warmest memories of the Georgian people. Despite the twists and turns in the destiny of our peoples, we have remained close to each other,” the Vice Speaker said addressing the Georgian MPs.

The Georgian delegation is set to visit such enterprises as Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ trademark), Savushkin Product Dairy and Santa Bremor fish processing company. The delegation will visit the Brest Fortress, Holy Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi. The Vice Speaker stressed that an important item on the agenda of the visit will be the visit to MAZ as Georgia buys vehicles in Belarus and there are prospects to tap into this avenue of cooperation.

The Vice Speaker recalled that earlier the task was set to bring the trade between the two countries up to $200 million. In 2015 the trade was about $50 million. "There is a lot of work ahead of us," Viktor Guminsky said.

The visit of the Georgian parliamentary delegation to Belarus started on 9 February 9 and will last till 11 February. Viktor Guminsky stressed that the visit is aimed to strengthen the friendly relations with Georgia and develop further the agreements that were reached in 2015. Back then, during the visit of the President of Belarus to Georgia the two countries signed 16 documents on cooperation.