Dear Reader,
the project “ByGreen – Greening Belarus” started in October 2020, shortly after the presidential election in Belarus, the subsequent events and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Not perfect conditions to build a transnational network to promote the export of German biogas and compost technology. But despite all the adversities, we managed to build a German interest group of 38 German companies and interest groups interested in an exchange with Belarus. This was matched by 18 Belarusian partners from academia, civil society and the private sector who also showed interest.
After setting up the interest groups, we worked intensively on communication and cooperation among ourselves and built a trilingual website for the joint representation of the Greening Belarus project. A big thank you goes to our graphic designer Andreea Stefan, who designed a professional website. In addition to the website, we published three articles, gave interviews, sent out regular newsletters, supervised student work and tried to make the project known further transnationally and to force closer cooperation. Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions and concerns on the part of the Belarusian partners, our efforts did not lead to the intensive exchange and cooperation we would have liked.
The war in Ukraine and the current political developments have now led to framework conditions under which further cooperation with Belarus is no longer possible for the time being.
In close consultation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the project management organisation Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG), we have therefore decided to end the project “ByGreen – Greening Belarus” prematurely on 31 May 2022.
As a result, we unfortunately have to cancel the planned congress in October 2022 and will not be able to promote any further exchange within the project. As a result of the project, the website with the project partners published on it will remain, as well as a short catalogue with contacts and their different expertise will be created. The website as well as the short catalogue should serve as a basis for a renewed exchange between Belarusian and German partners in a time when peace reigns in Eastern Europe.
We would like to thank you for your interest in this extraordinary network project and for your cooperation.
But where one project ends, a new one begins. In April 2022, Dr Abendroth was appointed Professor of Circular Economy at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus.
He has already applied for two more EXI projects with exciting target countries.
Mr Bierwage is still available for advice, to initiate and accompany cooperation projects with Eastern Europe. You can reach him here.
Yours sincerely,
Your Greening Belarus Team