Business news

TASHKENT, 12 September (BelTA) - Belarus and Uzbekistan are set to establish joint ventures in pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering and agriculture, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Uzbekistan Leonid Marinich told the media on 12 September, BelTA has learned.

“We are in talks, on the initiative of Uzbekistan, over enterprises in mechanical engineering. There is interest in Gomel-made equipment, Bobrusikagromash vehicles. So far we have not had any projects in agriculture. Therefore, during the visit of the Belarusian president to Uzbekistan the parties will consider joint ventures in agriculture,” Leonid Marinich said.

The matter is about the cooperation in dairy cattle breeding, poultry farming and processing of agricultural products. “We also offer our storage technologies. Uzbekistan produces thousands of tonnes of fruit and vegetables. But they have no had such program to build vegetable storage facilities like we did in Belarus,” the ambassador said.

The parties plan to set up two pharmaceutical companies. One will produce anti-cancer drugs, the other will make the drugs based on the medicinal herbs that grow in Uzbekistan.

According to the diplomat, the Belarusian president’s official visit to Uzbekistan, the first one in over 20 years, will be a landmark moment in bilateral relations, both in political and economic dimensions. The package of documents to be signed, the economic contracts to be concluded during the business forum and the meetings of the heads of state show that the visit will be a breakthrough in our relations,” he said.

According to Leonid Marinich, Belarus does not position itself as a country which comes to sell its products only. Belarus prioritizes joint ventures to develop the national economy and the economies of its partners.

“Today we openly speak about mutually complementary economies of Belarus and Uzbekistan. We have come here to create jobs, assist the economic development of Uzbekistan and get benefits for the national economy as well,” the ambassador said.

In January-July 2018 the bilateral trade totaled $99.5 million (up 65.2% from the same period in 2017). Belarus’ major exports to Uzbekistan include tractors, truck tractors, parts for automobile and agricultural machinery, car frames with engines and sugar. Uzbekistan sells to Belarus cotton yarn, grapes, fruits, nuts, juices, and knit fabric.

Uzbekistan is home to three assembly plants of Belarusian machinery. Road and construction vehicles are produced by the joint company Amkodor-Agrotekhmash. Bobruiskagromash’s product-line, including tractor trailers, fodder servers/mixers and mowers, is made at UzBelAgromash.

The Tashkent Agricultural Machinery Plant assembles MTZ tractors. The two companies launched cooperation in 2016.