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MINSK, 27 August (BelTA) – Belarus is interested in expanding its presence in India via joint manufacturing projects and new R&D centers in regions of India. The statement was made by Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov during the meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Belarus Manoj Kumar Bharti on 27 August, BelTA has learned.

Andrei Kobyakov noted: “We are ready to join India’s initiatives, in particular, Make in India. We suggest setting up enterprises to assemble tractors, agricultural machines, and trucks.”

According to the Belarusian head of government, the sides are mutually interested in cooperation in the area of mining industry and oil extracting industry.

Andrei Kobyakov pointed out that many of the projects, which are being implemented and are in the pipeline, require close attention and support on the part of the leadership of the two countries. The Prime Minister of Belarus assured the Ambassador of India that the Belarus government will continue providing comprehensive support and practical assistance to the successful implementation of all the joint projects and initiatives.

On the whole, Andrei Kobyakov noted that in the four years since Manoj Kumar Bharti was appointed India’s ambassador to Belarus the bilateral dialogue between the two countries has greatly intensified. Despite the ongoing complicated events in the global economy Belarus-India trade and economic relations have been developing consistently, with mutual trade rising every year, noted the Prime Minister. In his words, the fact indicates that the two economies are mutually complementary and that the partners have very good prospects. “The level we have today has a very large growth potential,” Andrei Kobyakov was convinced.

Belarus and India pay quite a lot of attention to the implementation of joint projects, noted the head of government. In particular, the number includes the project to reconstruct Grodno cogeneration plant No. 2. Apart from that, a number of projects in the pharmaceutical industry are being implemented with assistance of Indian companies. A Belarusian-Indian educational center has been opened in the Hi-Tech Park.

Andrei Kobyakov said: “I would also like to mention that Belarus is ready to give India a strategically important platform in the common economic space of the Eurasian Economic Union.” He went on saying that the first session of the joint research group that had taken place less than one month before had been a very important step in the efforts to bring India closer to Belarus and its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union.