On December 1, the China (Shandong)-Belarus Cooperation Dialogue & Shandong-Vitebsk Sister Cities Cooperation Week Kickoff Ceremony took place in Jinan. The event is an important part of the China-Belarus Local Cooperation Year from 2021 to 2022 aimed to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state.

"It is my second day in Jinan." On the sidelines of the China (Shandong)-Belarus Cooperation Dialogue on the afternoon of December 1, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to China Yuri Senko told dzwww.com he was impressed by the rapid development of Shandong, as well as its substantial efforts in pushing forward China-Belarus cooperation.

He noted that China and Belarus had carried out all-round and wide-range cooperation. On the part of agricultural cooperation, he hoped more original agricultural products made in Belarus, especially meat products and dairy products, would make their way to Chinese consumers. On the part of business cooperation, Belarus is one of the first countries to join the "Belt and Road" initiative. "We will have about 4,000 train carriages to transport products in 2014, up nearly 14 times from 540,000 carriages we have now," he said. On the part of industrial cooperation, China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park has been built up in Belarus and so far brought in 83 enterprises, including 42 Chinese enterprises.

"We signed two agreements at the dialogue and it is fruitful," said Wang Yinglong, Party Secretary of Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences) referring to the China (Shandong)-Belarus Cooperation Dialogue that just concluded. He told the agreements are related to science & technology and education respectively.

Under the sci-tech cooperation agreement, the Shandong Academy of Sciences (SDAS) and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus will jointly develop SDAS Belarus Research Center. Located at China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park, the proposed center will leverage both sides' strengths to conduct joint research in fields such as computer, AI, new materials, new energy, photoelectric information and laser.

Ji Caiyun, Chief of the European and Asian Affairs Division and First Class Counsel at the Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government, said the Shandong-Vitebsk Sister City Cooperation Week would take place in Shandong and Vitebsk from December 1 to 5. Aside from the cooperation dialogue on December 1, the event will include Photo Exhibition, Educational Cooperation Conference, Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, Light Industry Cooperation Seminar and Oil Painting Art Exhibition. "Hopefully through this event, a bridge of cooperation in fields such as economic trade, science & technology and culture will be built between Shandong and Vitebsk," she said, believing Shandong would make greater progress in friendly exchanges and cooperation with Vitebsk and Belarus.