Latvian consul: Vitebsk residents love their city for openness and rich culture
Residents and guests of Vitebsk love this city for its beauty, openness, rich cultural and historical legacy, Head of the Consulate of the Latvian Embassy in Vitebsk Dagnija Lace-Ate said at the meeting at the Vitebsk City Hall on 26 June, BelTA has learned.
Delegations of twin towns and partners of Vitebsk from Latvia and Russia, representatives of diplomatic missions congratulated Vitebsk on City Day and the anniversary of the liberation of Vitebsk from Nazi invaders. “Every city, and especially Vitebsk, deserves a feast. It is good that Vitebsk celebrates City Day in summer when everything is in bloom. Vitebsk is especially beautiful these days. Residents and guests of Vitebsk love the city. It is a good place for holidays, work and joint projects,” Dagnija Lace-Ate said.
Partaking in the meeting were also the First Secretary of the Embassy of Estonia in Belarus, delegations of Latvian Daugavpils and Rezekne, Russian Lipetsk and Pskov, Stupino municipal district of Moscow. Vitebsk maintains close cooperation with all abovementioned partners, including in the economy. For example, the trade between Vitebsk and Estonia made up $2.6 million in January-April 2015 (economic entities of Estonia cooperate with almost 30 organizations of Vitebsk). The foreign trade with Latvian cities reached $7.5 million in the same period, Vitebsk's export totaled $5 million. The trade with Moscow Oblast exceeded $36 million.
One of the oldest partners of Vitebsk is Rezekne. The relations with this town were established in 1995. “Today we mark the anniversary of partnership. It is a very serious date. We cooperate in all areas from economy to culture. Our self-government bodies also work with each other. Your artisans often visit us; our artisans take part in the Slavonic Bazaar. We have recently welcomed many art groups from Vitebsk. Apart from Vitebsk, we maintain partnership with Braslav, with which we cooperate on a number of projects. We would like to enhance economic ties with Vitebsk. Therefore, our free economic zone has recently signed an agreement with the free economic zone Vitebsk,” Rezekne Mayor Alexander Bartashevich said.
Foreign guests praised the hospitality of Vitebsk, kindness of local authorities and their eagerness to share the best practices. They wished all the best to the partner city. Vitebsk maintains close trade, economic and cultural ties with 20 towns, seven of them are twin towns, the other towns have signed partnership agreements with Vitebsk.
The Belarusian city also welcomed representatives of Mogilev, Gomel and Brest administrations. The celebrations will take place on 26-28 June. On 26 June guests of Vitebsk laid flowers at the Victory Monument and will attended a concert in the Summer Amphitheater.