OREANDA-NEWS. January 29, 2010. International Investment Forum will be held in Vitebsk in February 25-26 2010, according to the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee.

The program of the forum will be set up in line with the interest of potential investors in implementation of concrete projects in the region. Businessmen and potential investors from Azerbaijan, showing the interest in projects in the Vitebsk oblast are invited to participate in the International Investment forum.

The business forum is aimed to attract investment in the priority branches of the Vitebsk oblast, to tell domestic and foreign businessmen about opportunities of setting up new productions in the oblast. The investment projects cut across a wide range of industries, including machine building, automobile construction, road service, hotel construction and creation of logistics centers. The Vitebsk Free Economic Zone is expected to present investment oriented projects.


Further information about the conference as well as the program is available on www.vitebsk-region.gov.by/ru/economics/mi_forum

The ‘land of blue lakes’, Vitebsk region is famous for its history, culture and natural beauty. It borders Lithuania, Latvia and Russia, and is on a major transport crossroads, including the Paris-Moscow and Helsinki-Kiev trans-European road routes. Railways to Riga, St Petersburg and Warsaw all pass through the region, as does the Yamal Europe gas pipeline. More than half of the region’s economic output is generated in the energy sector, with major enterprises including Lukoml hydroelectric station and Novopolotsk power station. Other industries include food, light, fuel and chemical concerns.

Vitebsk Free Economic Zone has 34 member businesses, of which two-thirds enjoy foreign investment including from the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Poland and Russia.
•Located in north-east Belarus, 50km from the Russian border and 200km from Lithuania and Latvia. Targeting markets in Russia, central Europe and Scandinavia
•Occupies twelve square miles in the city of Vitebsk, on the Helsinki-Athens transport corridor
•Businesses include construction, food processing, electronics, veterinary medicine, agricultural chemicals, clothing, and fiber-optic cabling
•Just under half of goods are made for export, a quarter are produced as part of Belarus’ import-substitution program
•Exported US 3 million of goods in 2008, and imported US 5 million (excluding oil and oil products)
•Vitebsk is a thriving industrial city with a population of 356,000 and pedigree in the fuel, chemical and petrochemical sectors, electric power generation and food-processing.