OREANDA-NEWS. October 28, 2008. The III International Investment Forum "Investment opportunities and development priorities of FEZ "Grodnoinvest" as an important factor of dynamic development of Grodno region" took place in Grodno, reported the press-centre of Grodnoinvest.

The participants of the forum were potential investors from different CIS and European states, representatives of foreign companies and financial institutions in the Republic of Belarus (in total 30 foreign companies from 14 states, such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Sweden, France, Holland, Cyprus, Italy, USA, Slovakia) and heads of the consulates and diplomatic missions of the Slovak republic and the Republic of Poland.

From the Belarusian side there participated the managers of enterprises and organizations from Grodno and Lida. They have investment offers or business plans and are interested in business collaboration with foreign partners. Businessmen and managers of the resident enterprises of FEZ “Grodnoinvest” as well as the directors and specialists from the republican ministries, Grodno region and city Executive Committees also took part in the work of the forum.  

The following issues were discussed during the plenary session:

Main venues and priorities of investment attraction in the economy of Grodno region.

 FEZ “Grodnoinvest” : experience and development prospects.

 Foreign economic activity of Grodno department of Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an important factor in establishing investment collaboration between foreign and Belarusian partners.

Experience of foreign investments attraction in the Republic of Belarus.

The discussion was carried out and the program for the further business collaboration between Belarusian and foreign partners was laid down.

The following investment projects were presented:

Republican Unitary Enterprise “Grodnoenergo” – “Implementation of investment projects of Grodno energy system”.

Epaz Ltd (Lida) :”Development of the technologies for fragile materials processing (glass, stone, ceramics) and manufacturing of diamond tools and materials for the surface treatment for different types of machines”.

 Republican Unitary Enterprise “Konus” (Lida): “Metalware corrosion prevention using the method of hot galvanizing.”

The Investment Forum was preceded by the extensive work on the investors  search and the implementation of their investment projects within the free economic zone “Grodnoinvest”. As the result of this work there were registered 2 new residents of the free economic zone “Grodnoinvest”:

Foreign enterprise "Tiplast company" with the investment project “Production of facing materials: furniture edge from PVC, furniture finishing profiles from PVC”

"AKZ Merlan" JLtd  - with the investment project “Production of anticorrosive materials and concrete components”

The administration of FEZ “Grodnoinvest” have registered 10 resident enterprises of the  free economic zone this year.

Within the frameworks of the investment forum the contact co-operation exchange was held with the individual talks between foreign and Belarusian Forum participants and consultation on legal conditions of investment and economic activity in Belarus and in the free economic zone "Grodnoinvest".

The Forum participants visited resident enterprises of FEZ “Grodnoinvest” ("Zov-LenEVROMEBEL" ltd., "Biokom" ltd, "Bigan" ltd where they got acquainted with the work experience and development prospects. They also visited land plots of the eastern industrial area “Auls” and the northern industrial center “Grandichi” with transport and engineering infrastructure built at the expense of  the free economic zone “Grodnoinvest” which allows the investors to build their enterprises in the shortest possible timeand with the minimal costs.
                                                                  
As the result of the Forum there was signed a cooperation agreement between the administration of the free economic zone “Grodnoinvest” and German company “Lina Spuerk Consulting – Easteurope Business Cooperation”. Acoording to the agreement the parties are to:

develop the information exchange relations, information support of the projects, promote mutual industrial, investment and other economic collaboration;

conduct events meant for the development of medium and small-scale business;

create joint-enterprises;

expand direct links between German and Belarusian companies.