Business news

MINSK, 4 May (BelTA) – Austrian business is interested in further investment in Belarus, Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz told journalists on 4 May, BelTA has learned.

Sebastian Kurz noted that Belarus and Austria can be satisfied with the current level of economic cooperation. In his words, it has contracted a bit recently but it is still active enough.

In the first half of the day, Sebastian Kurz met with the investors and representatives of Austrian companies working in Belarus. “They want to continue investing in Belarus,” the Austrian minister noted.

He emphasized that Austria remains a large investor in the Belarusian economy. Four large-scale investment projects worth $400 million are currently in progress in Belarus. These are the projects in woodworking and chemical industry, development of the toll collection system, and the production of construction materials. In 2014 Belarus attracted almost $530 million of Austrian investments, including some $195 million of direct investments. There are 128 enterprises with Austrian capital registered in Belarus.

“I believe that our bilateral trade will increase as soon as the economic situation in Europe improves,” Sebastian Kurz noted.