NOVOPOLOTSK, 29 March (BelTA) – Belarusian and Latvian businessmen will cooperate despite EU sanctions, BelTA learned from Juris Bruzhuks, a Latvian businessman, the owner of a major apparel manufacturer Viola Stils, at the first forum of Belarusian and Latvian twinned cities in Novopolotsk on 29 March. “Latvia has many kinship and business ties with Belarus that have evolved over the course of history. The two economies are intertwined. Therefore sanctions of the European Union will not be able to affect our joint business,” stressed Juris Bruzhuks. As an example he referred to the forum of Belarusian and Latvian twinned cities. “You can see virtually all regions of Latvia represented here. Many ones have managed to established contacts and results of the event will soon follow because both sides show business interest in cooperation,” stressed the businessman. A similar opinion was voiced by Maxim Volkovich, a representative of the Нekava Krai Administration of Latvia. He said Belarusian-Latvian cooperation can be affected in the slightest if at all because business is separate from politics. “People should work and earn money despite all prohibitions and borders. It is up to others to deal with politics,” he said. The first Belarusian-Latvian forum of twinned cities “Development prospects of Belarusian-Latvian regional and twinned cities cooperation” took place in Novopolotsk on 29 March. Around 300 representatives of local government agencies and diplomatic missions of Belarus and Latvia took part in it.

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