II Forum of Belarusian and Ukrainian regions was held

On October 3-4, 2019, the second Forum of Belarusian and Ukrainian regions was held in Zhytomyr (Ukraine). Dean of the Department of Geography, Irina Abramova, was delegated from Brest State A. S. Pushkin University.

On October 3, the forum program included a meeting of the bilateral Business Advisory Council, negotiation between representatives of Ukrainian and Belarusian companies, a meeting of the Joint Commission for coordinating the protection and sustainable use of cross-border environmental areas, a round table “Preserving the language, cultural and natural environment of cross-border territories: history and modernity”, and an eco-forum.

A platform for organizing of the round table was Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University, which is celebrating its 100^th anniversary in 2019. Representatives of 14 Belarusian and 5 Ukrainian universities and scientific organizations took part in the round table, which was opened by the rector of ZhSU, Doctor of Biological Sciences Galina Kirichuk. At the plenary meeting, cooperation agreements between Belarusian and Ukrainian educational institutions were signed, the advantages and risks of academic mobility, scientific and methodological cooperation between Belarusian and Ukrainian universities were discussed. Further work was organized in four sections: “Historical aspects”, “Dialect-language aspects”, “Educational aspects” and “Aspects of natural science”. I. V. Abramova made a report on the topic “Environment, culture and tourism are priorities of cross-border cooperation in the Belarusian-Ukrainian Polesie”. She introduced the forum participants to the experience of professors of Brest State A. S. Pushkin University in the implementation of projects of cross-border cooperation in the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, as well as the development of tourism in border areas.

Professors prepared master classes on professional training of future teachers of the New Ukrainian school, the use of cloud technologies in the work of primary school teachers, and preparing students for Olympiads.

For the participants of the round table, excursions were organized to the museums of the university, where guests could get acquainted with its history, sports achievements of the region, cultural heritage and unique exhibits of the museum of nature.

The first day of the forum ended with a concert of friendship, which was held at the I. Kocherga Theatre.

On October 4, the day when the whole world celebrates the anniversary of the beginning of the space age, the S. P. Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics took part the ceremonies with participation of P. G. Degtyarenko, Head of State Space Agency of Ukraine, E. I. Kuznetsov, a veteran of rocket and space industry of Ukraine, O. N. Mitrakhov, representative of Yuzhnoye Design Office and delegation of scientists from Belarus led by I. N. Bucha, Head of Department of space activities of the NAS of Belarus. V. V. Shirma, Head of Zhytomyr Oblast Council and distinguished guests laid flowers on the bust of S. P. Korolyov and got acquainted with the museum exposition.

The plenary meeting of the II Forum of Belarusian and Ukrainian regions, which was held on October 4, was attended by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.

For two days in the centre of Zhytomyr hosted an exhibition of heavy equipment, where products of Belarusian and Ukrainian enterprises were presented. In total, there were 75 exhibits: dump trucks, tractors, excavators, buses, trolleybuses, combines and many others. On Mikhailovskaya street (this is a pedestrian street in Zhytomyr) a fair of products of decorative and applied arts of Belarus and Ukraine was organized, where more than 60 manufacturers presented their products.

I. V. Abramova