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Belarus-Russia trade, economic cooperation expected to help counteract Western sanctions

ST PETERSBURG, 29 March (BelTA) – Trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Russia will help counteract Western sanctions. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko made the statement as he met with St Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov, BelTA has learned.

Roman Golovchenko said: “The situation around our countries has changed substantially due to well-known circumstances. The external sanctions-fueled pressure has grown higher by many times. The collective West is pursuing a barefaced policy of economic strangling against our countries. This is why our effective trade and economic cooperation is a necessary condition for the successful counteraction of the ongoing economic war against the Union State of Belarus and Russia.”

The official remarked that in 2021 Belarus and St Petersburg reached considerable trade figures. Roman Golovchenko stressed it is necessary to exceed last year’s figures in 2022. The prime minister drew attention to import substitution and manufacturing cooperation.

In 2021 Belarus’ trade with St Petersburg totaled $1.743 billion, 14.5% up from 2020, with Belarus’ export up by 13.6% to $982.1 million. Belarus secured a foreign trade surplus of $220.5 million. 2021 saw an increase in shipments of hot-rolled non-alloyed steel bars, butter, frozen beef, plastic containers, condensed and powdered milk and cream, potatoes, chipboards and fiberboards, parts and accessories for automobiles and tractors.

In January 2022 Belarus’ trade with St Petersburg amounted to $122.5 million, 15.9% up from January 2021. Belarus’ export to St Petersburg went up by 1.2% to $68.8 million. Belarus sold more cheese and cottage cheese, butter, frozen fish, complex synthetic threads, potatoes, packaging materials, poultry meat, and whole milk to St Petersburg in the period.

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