Business news

MINSK, 11 November (BelTA) – Belarus considerably expanded the export of its road transport services to Turkey in 2016, Belarus’ Minister of Transport and Communications Anatoly Sivak told media, BelTA has learned.

“We are having a big growth of road transport service exports this year. In January-September we registered a 45% increase (to the same period of 2015 – BelTA’s note). This market is on the rise at present,” the minister said.

In his words, Belarus is negotiating with Turkish companies the ways to intensify cooperation in water transport, and river transport in particular, discussing investment projects that are under consideration.

One of the biggest projects that can be implemented in the future is the construction of a deep-water port in the south of Belarus with a view to get access to sea over the Dnieper through Ukraine. “This project is in its preplanning. Here we seek not only the construction of a deep-water port but also guarantees to support the water route on the Ukrainian territory. The dialogue is held at the level of the intergovernmental commission with Ukraine,” the minister said.

In his words, in the matters of the implementation of projects everything depends on business. “Belarus’ transport development program for the current five-year period comprises the corresponding events and sources to finance the construction of the port, which are investors’ funds. We cannot hurry them up. Different types of transport compete for cargo traffic. There are certain risks in the sector,” Anatoly Sivak explained.