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MINSK, 27 April (BelTA) – Belarus is interested in taking part in the machine tool engineering cluster in Chelyabinsk Oblast. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement as he met with Boris Dubrovsky, Governor of Chelyabinsk Oblast of the Russian Federation, on 27 April, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko outlined several promising avenues of cooperation. Belarus is interested in the powerful machine tool engineering cluster, which is taking shape in Chelyabinsk Oblast. “Our [machine tool engineering] cluster Belstankoinstrument may be very much interested in tight cooperation with this emerging cluster,” said the President.

According to the head of state, cooperation in agriculture also looks promising. The Belarusian side is ready to share successful experience in the field with the Chelyabinsk Oblast delegation. “I think we will come up with certain agreements on these matters, particularly in the sphere of agricultural science. The development of the countryside is impossible without it,” noted the President. “As far as civil engineering is concerned, we also have certain experience of designing and erecting construction installations for civil and industrial infrastructure. If you are interested, we are ready to work with you in this direction, too. We are ready to share the experience of developing applications for new materials and technologies,” suggested Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus and Chelyabinsk Oblast have a lot of contact points and vigorous cooperation in various spheres is already in progress, said the President. The head of state underlined that the Belarusian side will promptly discuss all the proposals of the Chelyabinsk Oblast delegation and will put forth its own. “We have the resolve to immediately make decisions and move to mobilize our labor force for implementing these decisions and our future agreements,” noted Alexander Lukashenko.

The President stressed that Chelyabinsk Oblast has been a reliable partner of Belarus for a long time. “We already have considerable experience of cooperation in mechanical engineering, agriculture, and other branches. I believe that you are as unhappy as we are about the falling trade turnover trend that emerged in the last two years. We should find ways to fix the situation,” said Alexander Lukashenko. “Just like Belarus Chelyabinsk Oblast has a very well-developed mechanical engineering industry and a defense industry. They represent a good foundation for creating joint enterprises to make high-tech competitive products.”

There are already examples of this kind of cooperation between Belarus and Russia’s Chelyabinsk Oblast. Components and aggregates for heavy BelAZ trucks, MTZ tractors, and other Belarusian agricultural machines are assembled like that. Belarusian automobile components are shipped to assembly lines of Chelyabinsk Oblast enterprises.

The head of state remarked that the meeting with the Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor was taking place on the eve of the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The President asked to convey his best wishes to Chelyabinsk Oblast residents and the Belarusian diaspora in the Russian region. He added that confidence in the future is the most important thing for Belarusians and all the Russians nowadays. “Not only Belarusians but Russians need this confidence in the situation the Russian Federation has landed due to certain external problems and pressure. We have survived even worse things in the course of our history. I think we will be able to weather consequences of these negative phenomena, too,” Alexander Lukashenko was convinced.