Abstract In this paper we consider a model of joint economic growth of two regions. This model bases on the classical Kobb-Douglas function and is described by a nonlinear system of differential equations. The interaction between regions is carried out by changing the balance of trade. The optimal control problem for this system is posed and the Pontryagin maximum principle is used for analysis the problem. The maximized functional represents the global welfare of regions. The numeric solution of the optimal control problem for particular regions is found. The used parameters was obtained from the basic scenario of the MERGE