Daugavpils to host second Belarusian-Latvian forum of twin towns

       Belarus and Latvia plan to hold the second meeting of twin towns in May in the Latvian city of Daugavpils. This issue was discussed today at a meeting of the Board of the Belarusian Organization of Twin Towns headed by Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Boris Batura.
Earlier this year, representatives from twin towns of Latvia and the Belarusian Embassy in Latvia suggested holding the next meeting of twin towns in Daugavpils, said Nina Ivanova, Chairperson of the Presidium of the Belarusian society of friendship and cultural relations with foreign countries, Executive Secretary of the Belarusian Organization of Twin Towns.
      The main goal of the meeting is to expand and strengthen the interregional links in trade, economic,  investment and cultural fields through enhanced regional partnerships. The first Belarusian-Latvian forum of twin-towns was held in Novopolotsk in March 2012. It was attended by representatives of 36 towns and districts of Belarus and 37 towns and regional councils of Latvia. Twelve agreements on partnerships were signed between towns and regions of the two countries. A number of agreements were reached on joint projects in the field of industrial cooperation, development of logistics infrastructure, creation of small-scale energy production facilities, cooperation in light and food industries, construction materials. As of today 20 Belarusian towns have twin-town relations with 22 Latvian towns.