Business news

MINSK, 5 February (BelTA) – The joint Belarusian-French commission on economic cooperation will hold its first meeting in Minsk on 13 February, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Belarus in France.

The Belarusian-French forthcoming events were discussed in a meeting between Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to France Pavel Latushko and co-chair of the joint Belarusian-French commission on economic cooperation, head of the bilateral relations service of the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance Sandrine Gaudin on 4 February. The diplomat informed the French official on the progress made in the preparations for the 1^st Belarusian-French Business Forum and the first meeting of the joint Belarusian-French commission on economic cooperation. The two events are scheduled for 12-13 February. The agenda of the commission’s meeting includes 12 issues of mutual interest.

The parties emphasized the mutual interest in discussing Belarus-France cooperation in trade and investment, industry, energy, financial insurance, agriculture, transport, environment at the forthcoming meeting of the bilateral commission. Special attention will be drawn to the prospects of regional cooperation between Belarus and France, the development of tourism cooperation and the discussion of the projects under the implementation in both the countries.

Pavel Latushko also informed on the organization of the Belarusian-French business forum. The forum initiated by the Embassy of Belarus in France jointly with the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will comprise a business matchmaking session.

According to Pavel Latushko, since 2013 the Embassy of Belarus in France has held 18 presentations of the Belarusian export potential and opportunities of the investment cooperation development between the two countries. Belarus’ presentations were held almost in every region of France, including such cities as Paris, Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, and Toulouse.

The Belarusian Ambassador informed the co-chair of the Belarusian-French commission on economic cooperation that about 50 French companies hade confirmed their participation in the business forum. Among them are leading French companies, such as AREVA, THALES, Peugeot Citroen, Sanofi, GDR Suez.

French companies will study cooperation opportunities with Belarusian partners in energy, transport, agriculture, pharmaceutics, construction, electronics, urban development, tourism, chemical and electronic industries, architecture, banking and woodworking.

Pavel Latushko and Sandrine Gaudin stressed the importance of the forthcoming Belarusian-French events with a view to add impetus to the bilateral trade and economic cooperation.