Business news

MINSK, 9 March (BelTA) – Belarusian companies may take part in the construction of the second Kursk nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Belarusian Information Technologies and Communications Minister Sergei Popkov on 9 March.

“Our delegation, heads of our communications enterprises, visited Kursk Oblast in December 2014 and held negotiations. We are now coordinating the terms of participation of Belarusian enterprises, including in the construction of the engineering infrastructure of the second Kursk nuclear power plant,” noted Sergei Popkov.

In his words, there are plans to sign an action plan in Minsk on 10 March as a supplement to the agreement signed by the administration of Russia’s Kursk Oblast and the Belarus government on 25 January 2002. The agreement stipulates terms of trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation. The action plan will address many different areas both in financial and cultural relations. “In particular, we plan to further develop our joint enterprise that makes Belkommunmash trolleybuses in the city of Kursk. Our construction companies may take part in the construction of a mining and processing factory. There is an interest in BelAZ trucks. There are areas of interest in various branches of the economy,” stated the Minister.

In 2014 trade between Belarus and Russia’s Kursk Oblast reached $243 million. Belarus’ share in Kursk Oblast’s overall foreign trade totaled 21.3%. Belarus accounted for 43% of Kursk Oblast’s trade with the CIS states. Kursk Oblast bought a wide range of industrial products and food, including petrochemical products, industrial products, textiles, apparel and footwear, food, timber, pulp and paper products. Belarus bought mechanical engineering products and electric equipment, chemical industry products, metals and goods made thereof, timber, pulp and paper products, food, and agricultural raw materials. The development of manufacturing cooperation between industrial enterprises of Belarus and Russia’s Kursk Oblast is one of the priority avenues of cooperation.

As many as 20 out of 54 big and medium-sized Kursk Oblast industrial enterprises or nearly 40% of the region’s industrial enterprises cooperate with partners in Belarus on a long-term basis. The relations are advancing, making the transition from simple trade to joint endeavors — dealerships, the establishment of enterprises, the implementation of joint technical and economic programs.