French company might build sports medicine hospital in Minsk

A French delegation consisting of Co-Manager of Groupe A40 Architectes Bordeaux Gwen Marien and Founder of Clinique du Sport de Bordeaux-Merignac Michel Allard is considering a possibility to construct a sports medicine hospital in Belarus, BelTA learnt from the Sports and Tourism Ministry of Belarus.

The French delegation met with Sports and Tourism Minister of Belarus Alexander Shamko to present a project to construct a sports medicine hospital in Belarus. Gwen Marien noted that the company has been running projects in sports, treatment and rehabilitation of athletes since 2002. The accumulated expertise and knowledge allowed the company to launch operations outside France. These days the company is involved in construction of sports and healthcare facilities in Tunisia, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates and Russia (Kaliningrad). Groupe A40 Architectes has an office in Minsk.

The strong sides of the French project are its multi-purpose nature and modularity, which will allow for expanding and upgrading the hospital if needed. The French delegation also suggests training the medical professionals for the hospital simultaneously with the construction of the facility.

Alexander Shamko noted that the expertise and knowledge of the French partners might be very useful. The minister told them about Belarus' efforts to set up the National Sports Center. This center is to combine the potentials of the National Sports Medicine Center and the Research Institute of Physical Education and Sport. The construction of the National Sports Center is already underway. The center will be located at the crossroads of Timiryazeva Street and Narochanskaya Street in Minsk.

The French specialists will soon submit a list of questions to be answered by the Belarusian side. After that, they will put forward concrete cooperation proposals. During their stay in Belarus, the French delegation is to visit the National Sports Medicine Center and the Staiki sports complex.

Taking part in the talks were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to France Pavel Latushko, First Deputy Sports and Tourism Minister Alexander Gagiyev, division heads of the Sports and Tourism Ministry and Director of the National Sports Medicine Center Yevgeny Lositsky.