The advancement of manufacturing cooperation, humanitarian exchange programs, and tourism will become the main avenues of cooperation between Vitebsk and the Chinese city of Jinan for the period till 2020. The plans are stipulated by the protocol on implementing the agreement on advancing cooperation between the twinned cities, which was signed in Vitebsk on 22 September, BelTA has learned.

The document was signed by Chairman of the Vitebsk City Council of Deputies Vladimir Belevich and Chairman of the Jinan City Committee of People's Representatives Yin Luqian.

The head of the Chinese delegation noted that Belarus-China cooperation has been developing very actively in many areas for the last few years thanks to fruitful contacts at the top level. Representatives of municipal government agencies of Belarus and China should successfully implement the agreements reached by the two heads of state, said Yin Luqian. He suggested putting together a roadmap on cooperation between the cities in several vital areas for the period till 2020.

Vitebsk and Jinan have a great potential for stepping up manufacturing cooperation because both cities boast a well-developed manufacturing sector and well-trained personnel. Heavy industry and light industry, machine tool production, logistics, information technologies, production of healthcare equipment, and pharmaceutics can become promising spheres in this regard. Apart from that, Jinan is home to over 7 million people and there is a stable demand for quality products over there. The fact opens up huge opportunities for Vitebsk-based manufacturers. Members of the Chinese delegation were able to make sure of the high quality of Vitebsk products, in particular, footwear and food, during this visit.

In order to galvanize cooperation, the Chinese partners suggested establishing a permanent communication channel between the administrations of the two cities and stepping up the exchange of delegations of government agencies, companies, and organizations. "In China we say that relatives get closer if they talk more often," noted Yin Luqian.

Apart from that, it is necessary to advance projects in the humanitarian sphere, focusing on expanding contacts between specialists in various areas, on exchanging visits, on mutual participation in cultural and educational projects. The Chinese partners are ready to send their representatives to the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk and invited a Vitebsk delegation to attend festivals in Jinan. In order to step up cooperation in education, Yin Luqian suggested two projects: scholarships for university students, which are granted to the cities Jinan is twinned with every year, and summer schools for secondary school students, during which kids get an opportunity to get more familiar with Chinese culture and ways of life. In order to tap into the tourism potential of the two cities, it is necessary to create a joint tourism product. Yin Luqian believes that such a product will be hugely popular with Chinese citizens.

During the two-day visit the Jinan delegation will visit a number of enterprises and organizations and will be made familiar with cultural and historical places of interest in Vitebsk.

The agreement on twinning Vitebsk and Jinan was signed in April 2009.

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