Panorama
Heroes from the Island of Freedom
Batteries with Polesie registration
Day of Cuban Press celebrated in audience hall of Minsk’s Press House
nternational investment forums are known to be one of the most efficient marketing instruments aiming to increase sale volumes. This was also the goal of the 4th Brest International Forum, recently hosted by the city over the River Bug and bringing together nearly 200 guests. These are representatives of diplomatic establishments of Kazakhstan, Russia, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Poland and Latvia, as well as businessmen from Europe. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee Konstantin Sumar noted that the issue of international economic co-operation has recently gained relevance. “Over the past decade foreign investments into the region
T
his wasn’t merely a warm and friendly meeting of colleagues but a short trip into the epoch of powerful Cubin-Soviet friendship. It turned out that the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Belarus, H.E. Mr. Alfredo Nieves Portuondo, once graduated from the Higher Military and Political College in Lvov and worked as a journalist in Cuba before becoming a diplomat. However, during the meeting he underlined that he remains a journalist, as ‘this speciality is for the whole life’. His daughter Aliana, who was also present in the hall, followed in her father’s footsteps. “We meet our Cuban friends, brothers and colleagues whom we’ve long known as open and friendly people,” noted Vadim Gigin, the First Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Union of Journalists and Editor-in-Chief of Belaruskaya Dumka (Belarusian Thought) magazine while introducing the guests of the event. The Ambassador spoke about the establishment of Cuban media and their important role in the life of residents of the Island of Freedom and the whole Latin American continent. Newspapers and radio still remain powerful weaponry in Cuba in struggling against economic blockade of the country from the USA. In particular, due to journalists, the movement of solidarity is growing worldwide with five courageous Cubans who were unfairly imprisoned in the USA. The press release which was spread on the Cuba stand during the recent Mass Media in Belarus international exhibition, reads: ‘In September 1998, five Cubans — Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González — were arrested in Miami by FBI. Their mission in the USA was to monitor the activity of organisations and groups which belonged to terrorist activity against Cuba, primarily against anti-Cuban groups in the south of Florida ’. They all were convicted in conspiracy against the USA and some in espionage, although even the director of the national intelligence said during the court that no secret information was found along those data which were given to Cuba.
Delegations from 13 countries take part in 4th Brest Investment Forum
I
Traders take fancy to network Number of domestic online vendors increasing daily
A
ccording to the Deputy Trade Minister, Irina Narkevich, speaking at the First Industry ECommerce eTRADE Conference, over 5,000 online-shops were operational in Belarus in early April.
have raised 14 times. Today, we are ready to offer the participants of the forum some 40 promising investment projects — in the agro-industrial sector and tourism,” added the Governor. We’ll see in the nearest time whether the forum has been a success. However, during the first day of its work a large contract was signed on the establishment of the battery production facilities in Bereza and Pinsk. Moreover, it’s planned to attract around $200m of foreign investments into the economy of the region. In total, the Brest Region has agreements worth over $1.3bn. Only last year, the number of such virtual shops rose by twenty percent; in the first quarter of this year, their number increased by another six percent and, according to the Deputy Minister, further growth is likely. All the necessary legislation is ready for the development of Internet trading in Belarus. Mikhail Makhtadui, who heads the Internet Tax Control Section Ministry for Taxes and Duties, notes that his department keeps a check on violations — such as owners lacking documents confirming the legality of imported goods. “If such violations are detected, the business entities are brought to task,” asserts Mr. Makhtadui.
2013 беларусь.belarus
17