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Jiri Karas: Belarus and Czech Republic need to develop cooperation in economy, culture

GOMEL, 8 February (BelTA) - Belarus and the Czech Republic need to develop cooperation in economy and culture, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic in Belarus Jiri Karas told reporters in Gomel. “For example, Czech businessmen already cooperate with Gomel Oblast. But I intend to visit the city again soon and bring my economic adviser to discuss promising projects that could be implemented in your region,” said the diplomat. Another promising area of cooperation is tourism. “I have been working in Belarus for three years already and I know that a lot of people from Belarus travel to the Czech Republic. My goal is to better acquaint Czech Republic citizens with tourist potential of your country, with its beautiful nature and, of course, the most important thing, beautiful Belarusian people,” the Ambassador said. According to Jiri Karas, the countries have good relations in culture. The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus and the Czech national theaters in Prague and Brno cooperate successfully. So do the national libraries of the two countries. Soon Prague play host to the exhibition of thirty Belarusian artists. Jiri Karas is in Gomel on a visit. He met with senior officials of the Gomel City Hall. In 2011, the trade between Gomel Oblast and the Czech Republic amounted to $47.2 million. Exports reached $34.6 million, and imports $12.6 million. Major export items of Gomel Oblast to the Czech republic include stranded wire, nails, nonwovens, insulated wire. Major exporters are the Belarusian Steel Works, Rechitsa Hardware Plant, Gomelkabel, SvetlogorskKhimvolokno. The Czech Republic supplies the region with industrial furnaces, engines and electric generators, machinery and mechanical appliances, dishwashers. Czech investors are involved in the projects to manufacture NPK-fertilizers at Gomel Chemical Plant, pellets from straw in Petrikov District. The volume of investments from the Czech Republic to Gomel Oblast made up $1.8 million in January-September in 2011.

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