The Smolensk Region is located in the center of the East European Plain and is part of the Central Federal District. It borders Belarus in the south-west, west and north-west.

The region is one of the most important transport and communication hubs — 35% of Russian cargo and 75% of cargo coming from Europe to Russia passes through the region.

The dominant economic activities of the region are:

• chemical production;
• jewelry industry;
• woodworking;
• agriculture and agro-industrial complex;
• transport and logistics;
• tourism.

The main factors of investment attractiveness of the region include:

• unique geographical location and developed engineering infrastructure;
• large sales opportunities for products produced in the region, including exports to Europe;
• prospects in the implementation of energy-intensive projects (the energy complex of the Smolensk region generates 4 times more electricity than the region consumes);
• modern investment infrastructure: two state industrial parks, the territory of advanced socio-economic development and a Special Economic Zone.