Joint projects in chemical industry, power engineering, machinery construction and city transport infrastructure are the most promising areas of cooperation between Vitebsk and Czech business, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Milan Hovorka told a press conference. Milan Hovorka heads the Czech business delegation during a one-day visit to Vitebsk.

According to Milan Hovorka, trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and the Czech Republic was vibrant reaching a record high trade of $400 million in 2008. Interregional cooperation has a great potential for boosting interrelations between the two countries. This is the reason why the Czech delegation has traveled to one of the regions of Belarus. The Vitebsk oblast was chosen for a reason. “This is one of the big industrial regions of Belarus. Some Czech companies already operate here. We are interested in cooperation in construction of hydroelectric stations, projects in city transport, machinery construction and other areas,” Milan Hovorka said.

The major goal here is to create favorable conditions for the joint activity of the Belarusian and Czech businessmen, he said. An intergovernmental agreement on economic cooperation will greatly contribute to it. The first session of the intergovernmental commission took place in Brno in April 2009, the next one will be held in Belarus.

The Czech delegation met with businessmen of the Vitebsk region. The meeting highlighted the potential of the region and investment opportunities of the Vitebsk Free Economic Zone. The delegation of the Czech Republic comprised the heads of banking and insurance institutions, companies of the energy, construction and chemical industries.

www.belta.by