President of the Republic of Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko met Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin in the course of Chelyabinsk Region officials’ visit to Byelorussia.

According to the spokesperson for the Governor, Alexander Lukashenko and Petr Sumin spoke about the main directions of and the new ways of the two territories’ trade and economic cooperation.

President Lukashenko drew his interlocutor’s attention to the fact that both Russia and Byelorussia were faced with the formidable challenge of establishing a new type of confederacy which was expected to improve the two countries’ living standards significantly. Remarkably, it is the strengthening of interregional ties (as is the case with Chelyabinsk Region and Byelorussia) that facilitates the achievement of the goal. Alexander Lukashenko suggested making industrial partnership and production of hi-tech and science-intensive goods the two territories’ main fields of cooperation.

Petr Sumin said Byelorussia had always been his region’s long-term important strategic partner.

‘Our goods turnover has tripled over the last three years, which is an impressive result of our cooperation agreement,’ the Governor observed.