MINSK, 23 September (BelTA) - Enterprises of the Belarusian Industry Ministry have reoriented exports mainly to Russia and African countries, Industry Minister Piotr Parkhomchik told the media after his meeting with the Belarusian president on 23 September, BelTA has learned.
In his words, over the last few years the cooperation with Russia has been steadily improving and the performance of Belarusian industrial enterprises testify to the fact. “Exports to Russia have soared 52% this year, with tractors, harvesters, refrigerators, TV sets and other Belarusian products selling well,” he said.
The Belarusian industry minister has recently paid a working visit to Tatarstan and confirmed great dynamics in cooperation with this Russian region. “The president of Tatarstan assured us that we would receive an order for this five-year period in the agricultural sector, which would include tractors, harvesters, sowing machines. We also discussed issues related to the public utilities sector,” said Piotr Parkhomchik.
The minister mentioned Zimbabwe among the African countries with which Belarus has been actively cooperating. Last year a representative Belarusian delegation visited this African country. “Despite all the difficulties of the current period we have put a lot of Belarusian equipment in operation. These were harvesters, MAZ vehicles, fire engines, tractors and sowing machines – some 800 vehicles for the total tune of nearly $30 million. This year we will almost double the delivery of our equipment to this market,” he said.
In December, on the instructions of the president, the industry minister is set to visit Zimbabwe again to prepare a work plan for 2022.
There are also countries in the European market with which Belarus continues cooperation. It is, for example, Serbia. The country has recently hosted an agricultural exhibition which was attended by Piotr Parkhomchik. “I met with a large group of ministers and discussed issues related to the promotion of Belarusian products,” the minister said. Serbia is interested, in the first place, in agricultural machinery (tractors, harvesters, trailed and mounted equipment) as well as electric transport produced by MAZ and Belkommunmash. Moreover, special fire-fighting vehicles are becoming a must for many countries that have suffered from fires. Last year, Belarus supplied the first batch of such vehicles to Serbia; they have already tested during a season in extreme conditions, and now we have reached an agreement on another delivery.