International event "Business Days in Gomel"

On December 7-8, 2023, the international event "Business Days in Gomel" was held, organized by the Gomel Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly with the Gomel Regional Union of Employers with the support of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee and the Gomel City Executive Committee.

The official partners were 16 enterprises and organizations of the Gomel region.

This year's "Business Days in Gomel" brought together over 250 participants from 11 countries and 24 regions of the Russian Federation and organizations of the Republic of Belarus. Dialogue on the declared topics was conducted by representatives of government authorities, diplomatic missions and Chambers of Commerce and Industry, businessmen, heads of tourist infrastructure – more than 160 companies in total.

At the official part of the event, hosted by the Business Center of the Gomel Chemical Plant, First Deputy Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee Dmitry Petrozhitsky, Chairman of the Gomel City Executive Committee Vladimir Privalov, as well as Chairman of the Gomel Regional Union of Employers Dmitry Chernyakov addressed the participants with welcoming speeches.

During the session "Transformation of business opportunities in new conditions: responses to the challenges of the time, growth points", moderated by the General Director of the Gomel Branch of the BelCCI Marina Filonova, effective forms of trade and economic cooperation between regions, interaction in the agro-industrial sphere, logistics, import substitution, cooperative chains and other topical issues were discussed.

Participants of the session "Tourism as a factor in the economic development of territories: experience, problems, trends and prospects" discussed modern tendencies in the tourism industry of Belarus and Russia, the formation and development of the tourism potential of small territories, the attraction of investments and resources in regional tourism.

Three cooperation agreements were signed as part of the event, including to agreements signed by the Gomel Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: with the Administration of the Krasnogvardeysky District of St. Petersburg and the Management Company "Tourist Cluster of St. Petersburg and the North-Western Federal District" of LLC "Baltic Alliance St. Petersburg". The Gomel regional organization of the Belarusian Trade Union of Workers of State and Other Institutions signed an agreement with the Bryansk regional organization of the All-Russian Trade Union of Workers of State Institutions and Public Services.

As part of the "Business Days in Gomel", an advertising and information tour was organized for representatives of the tourism business from the regions of Russia. The press tour covered historical, cultural, religious sights of the regional center and the Gomel region. The guests visited famous industrial enterprises of Gomel.

The visit program of the delegation of the Republic of Mari El in the Mozyr region was eventful. By visiting leading enterprises in the region, the Mari business mission studied the experience and prospects for further interaction with Belarusian organizations in the agro-industrial, manufacturing and construction spheres.

The Business Days program included events aimed at developing interregional tourism and involvement in international projects and initiatives to preserve historical and cultural heritage. The cross-border project-initiative "Following Catherine's Roads" was promoted through the organization of the seminar "A souvenir – "a gift to remember" and the round table "Following Catherine's Roads Project".

The author and director of the project "Following Catherine's Roads", Irina Bogdanets, was a speaker at these events. Olga Boronenko, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Belarus, Head of the Russian House in Gomel, representatives of the Bryansk and Novgorod regions, representatives of the tourist infrastructure of the Komi Republic, Smolensk, employees of the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg) expressed their interest in participating in the project.