On the Opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Belarus in Florence

17 June 2013

17-06-2013

On June 14, 2013 the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Italy Mr.Evgeny Shestakov attended the opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Belarus in Florence (Italy).

The opening ceremony of the Honorary Consulate’s office, located in the historic center of Florence, was held in the presence of the Vice-Prefect of Florence Mr.Antonio Lucio Garufi and was attended by numerous representatives of business, academic and public circles of the Italian region of Tuscany.

In his speech the Ambassador presented the Honorary Consul, Mr.Marco Bacci, and informed about the main directions of the newly opened honorary consulate’s activity.

For reference: The consular district of the Belarusian Honorary Consulate in Florence embraces the territory of the region of Tuscany.

Tuscany is considered to be the most economically developed region of central Italy, hosting a number of major steel, chemical, petrochemical, shipbuilding, aircraft- and engine-building companies. The region is also known for its excellences in jewelry, footwear, leather goods, textile and glassware production. The Tuscan experience in the field of breeding elite breeds of cattle and pigs is of practical interest for Belarus. The development of agro- and eco-tourism in Tuscany is widely recognized as a global benchmark.

There are examples of successful cooperation between Tuscan and Belarusian educational institutions: the University of Florence has cooperation agreements with the Belarusian State Pedagogical University and the Gomel State Medical University. The Florence Agrarian Institute cooperates with the Belarusian State Agrarian Technical College located in Maryina Gorka.

Several Belarusian and Tuscan cities have twining ties (Rogachev — Lucca, Slavgorod — Montevarchi).

In the field of humanitarian cooperation Tuscany is firmly positioned among the top ten partners of Belarus among Italian regions.

The Italian Football Federation’s Training Center located in Coverciano, near Florence, has repeatedly trained Belarusian experts.

Although the Belarusian diaspora in Tuscany currently has relatively low numbers (about 7% of our compatriots living in Italy), in some Tuscan provinces it is showing a significant growth trend.