Business news

VIENNA, 24 May (BelTA) – Belarus is ready to become a manufacturing platform for Austria to enter the market of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Belarus’ First Deputy Prime Minister Vasily Matyushevsky said as he met with President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl ahead of the Vienna Forum: Promoting EU Investments in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“The prospects for joint business are great, especially within the Eurasian Economic Union. We hope that the preferences the Belarusian government offers foreign investors will help Austrian companies choose Belarus as production area for the economic expansion to the EEU,” Vasily Matyushevsky noted.

He thanked the Austrian side for the opportunity to organize the forum and for the high organizational level of the event. “Given the traditionally wonderful relations with Austria, it is not surprising that today’s forum is taking place here. We are well aware of your personal attitude to our country and appreciate your contribution to the development of trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries,” the First Vice Premier said.

According to Vasily Matyushevsky, Belarus has hosted the Austrian business mission twice. “Last year you met with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. He praised your efforts in establishing bilateral relations. You took a personal part in setting up the Belarusian-Austrian Business Cooperation Council. The Council helps our business find the best areas for cooperation,” Vasily Matyushevsky stressed.

The First Deputy Prime Minister hailed a high level of trade, economic and investment cooperation between Belarus and Austria. “The recent developments in the world economy have affected the mutual trade which has shrunk a bit. However, we hope that our joint efforts will help restore and increase the bilateral trade. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Austrian trading companies who sell a substantial amount of Belarusian goods annually," said Vasily Matyushevsky. He thanked the Austrian business for this activity.

The First Deputy Prime Minister also noted that one of the objectives of the forum is to attract new European technologies to Belarus, including corporate governance models. “The Belarusian side will do its utmost to become more understandable to Austrian partners,” Vasily Matyushevsky noted.

The Vienna Forum: Promoting EU Investments in Belarus will be held in Vienna on 24 May. The event is organized by the BCCI, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in accordance with the instructions of Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov.

Interests of the European business community at the forum will be represented by Austrian companies and also businessmen from Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Latvia, Hungary, and Slovakia. The forum is expected to be attended by President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl, representatives of the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Eurochambres, and also the heads of the chambers of Western and Central Europe.

The forum will work in the following thematic clusters: Investment Climate in the Republic of Belarus: Investment Opportunities; Banking Sector; Information and Communication Technologies; Environmentally Friendly Construction.

During the business matchmaking event representatives of the European and Belarusian business will have the opportunity to hold negotiations in accordance with the stated areas of interest (banking, industry, information and telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, engineering and construction, energy, transportation and logistics, consulting, etc.).