Minsk（Belarus）

Minsk（Belarus）

[Overview] Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus and administrative center of the Minsk region. Situated by the Svisloch River which is an upper tributary of the Dnieper in eastern Europe, in the southern part of the Minsk Highland, the city covers an area of 349 square kilometers and has a population of two million.

[Politics] The City Council is the representative body of Minsk. It has one chairman, two vice chairmen, and nine standing committees. The term of office of councilors is four years. The administrative branch of the municipal government is the Executive Committee. There are nine districts under the jurisdiction of the city. The current Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Anatoly Sivak, took office in November 2018.

[Economy] Minsk is the largest industrial hub in Belarus. The city's main industries include machinery manufacturing, electronics, textiles, and food processing. Machinery manufacturing and metal processing are its pillar industries. It has a mature chemical industry and well-developed radio, electronics, instrumentation, building materials, and mining industries. Animal husbandry is the city's largest agricultural segment. The city's main produce are milk, oil, flax and potatoes.

[Culture and Education] Minsk has many universities including Belarusian State University, Belarusian National Technical University, Belarus State Economic University, and Belarusian State Medical University. There are also many museums, opera houses, cinemas, and libraries in the city.

[Relations with Beijing] On April 26, 2016, Beijing and Minsk officially became sister cities. In 2002 and 2010, the two cities signed agreements and letters of intent on cooperation in investment and trade, technology and culture. In 2018, the two cities signed a memorandum on strengthening cooperation in tourism, sports, culture and education.

Investment and Trade: During then Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to Belarus in March 2010, Beijing Uni-Construction Group and the Minsk City Executive Committee reached a consensus on the construction of relevant infrastructure projects in Minsk. In July of the same year, Beijing Uni-Construction Group invested in the Beijing Hotel Project and the Swan Residential Community Project in Minsk. The Beijing Hotel Minsk is located in downtown Minsk with a floor area of 32,000 square meters. It officially opened in 2014. The Swan Residential Community is the first residential project of a Chinese company in Belarus. It covers an area of 360,000 square meters and has a planned floor area of 260,000 square meters. The apartments of the project sell quite well. The China-Belarus Industrial Park is the largest investment project between the two countries and China's largest overseas industrial park project, known as the Pearl on the “Silk Road Economic Belt”. Beijing Uni-Construction Group has been actively involved in the construction of the park and has undertaken many projects in the park.

Culture and Tourism: Minsk is one of the founding members and a council member of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), which was established on the initiative of Beijing. In 2017, Beijing participated in the celebration of the 950th anniversary of the founding of Minsk. In 2017, the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China and the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus signed a cooperation agreement on sending teams to perform in each other's cities.

明斯克市（白俄罗斯）

【概况】明斯克市是白俄罗斯共和国首都，明斯克州首府，位于欧洲东部第聂伯河上游支流斯维斯洛奇河畔，明斯克高地南部，面积349平方公里，人口200万。

【政治】明斯克市议员委员会是明斯克市地方自治代表机构，行使市议会职能；委员会设主席1名，副主席2名，下设9个常务委员会；议员每届任期4年。明斯克市行政管理机构为明斯克市执行委员会。全市下辖9个区。现任执委会主席西瓦克·安纳托里·亚历山大洛维奇于2018年11月就职。

【经济】明斯克市是白俄罗斯最大的工业中心，主要工业有机械制造、电子、纺织、食品加工等。机械制造和金属加工是其支柱产业，化学工业发达，无线电、电子、仪表、建材及采掘工业具有较高发展水平。农业主要以畜牧业为主，牛奶、油类、亚麻和马铃薯产量很高。

【文化教育】明斯克市内拥有白俄罗斯国立大学、工学院、国民经济学院和医学院等多所高校。此外，博物馆、歌剧院、电影院、图书馆众多。

【两市交往】2016年4月26日，我市与明斯克市正式建立友好城市关系。2002年和2010年，两市分别签署经贸、科技和文化友好合作协议及合作意向书，2018年，两市签署了关于加强旅游、体育、文化与教育的备忘录。

经贸交往：2010年3月习近平副主席访问白俄罗斯期间，北京住总集团与明斯克市执行委员会达成承建明斯克市有关基础设施的共识。当年7月，北京住总集团在明斯克市投资建设明斯克“北京饭店”和天鹅小区住宅项目。明斯克“北京饭店”位于明斯克市中心，建筑面积3.2万平方米，2014年正式对外营业。天鹅住宅小区项目是中国在白俄罗斯建设的第一个住宅项目，占地面积36万平米，规划总建筑面积26万平米，目前销售状况良好。此外，中白工业园是两国最大的投资合作项目，也是中国在海外最大的工业园区项目，被誉为“丝绸之路经济带”上的明珠。北京住总集团积极参与园区建设，承建了园区内多个项目。

文化旅游：明斯克市是北京市发起成立的世界旅游城市联合会的发起城市之一，是世界旅游城市联合会会员兼理事会成员。2017年，我市参加了明斯克市建城950周年庆祝活动。2017，国家大剧院与白俄罗斯国家歌剧芭蕾舞剧院签署了合作协议，双方积极互派演出团到对方城市演出。

（Source: Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government）