Business news

MOSCOW, 18 November (BelTA) – Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ trademark) and the Yaroslavl-based engine factory Avtodiesel intend to sign an agreement on joint export to third countries, BelTA learned from Belarusian Industry Minister Vitaly Vovk during the 6^th international economic forum Innovations. Business. Education 2015 in the Russian city of Yaroslavl on 18 November.

The press service of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia quoted Vitaly Vovk as saying: “We are going to cooperate and work together in third countries, on third markets. An agreement on strategic partnership between Minsk Automobile Plant and Avtodiesel for the sake of export to third countries is being prepared.”

The Belarusian Industry Minister also said that plans have been made to continue cooperation with OAO Yaroslavl Diesel Equipment Plant (YaZDA). The Russian company specializes on making systems that deliver fuel to the engine as part of automobile and tractor diesel engines.

Led by Vitaly Vovk, the Belarusian delegation together with Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Sergei Yastrebov visited Avtodiesel’s production site on 18 November where medium-capacity diesel engines YaMZ-530 are made.

The Yaroslavl Oblast Governor remarked that over the course of history Belarus has been one of the largest industrial partners of the Russian region. “We have developed solid traditions of many years of friendship and business cooperation that are stipulated by bilateral mutually beneficial agreements. We interact virtually in all the spheres of life — industrial manufacturing, agriculture, culture, education,” said Sergei Yastrebov. “We have never forgotten about cooperation in the agribusiness complex. Today the number of traditional cooperation avenues will be expanded with new ones, first of all, pharmaceutics. There are many common themes, ideas, and prospects there. We are also going to cooperate in the area of power machines engineering and other areas.”

Partnering relations primarily rely on the program for advancing cooperation between Belarus and Russia’s Yaroslavl Oblast in 2014-2016. One of the main components of the document is interaction in the sphere of mechanical engineering and diesel construction. As part of the agreement OAO Avtodiesel exports its products to Belarus. An agreement has been reached on the delivery of pilot engines to Belarusian OAO Gomselmash. Other export options are under consideration as well.

After the tour of the enterprise the Belarusian Industry Minister said that the factory is a modern one. “Today we have discussed future ways to push its products to markets, including Belarus. We are ready for the process. It is important to work together in a concerted manner. Aftersales service development is what matters. Avtodiesel and Belarusian companies have established good working relationships. But it is necessary to continue working to reduce the prime cost of merchandise, increase its quality and competitive ability.”

A new agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical and humanitarian cooperation between the governments of Belarus and Yaroslavl Oblast will bolster the economic and manufacturing cooperation ties. The sides are going to discuss the details on 19 November.

In 1996 the Belarusian Industry Ministry and the Yaroslavl Oblast administration signed an agreement on cooperation. The same year the Yaroslavl Oblast administration and the Minsk Oblast administration signed an agreement on cooperation. Four years later the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Yaroslavl Oblast administration signed an agreement on trade and economic cooperation.

Since 1998 the program of the Union State of Belarus and Russia on developing diesel automobile construction has been the key link in Belarus’ economic cooperation. Thanks to the program competitive automobiles have been made with diesel engines compliant with Euro 2, Euro 3, and Euro 4 exhaust emission standards. The service life of powertrains has been increased up to 1 million km of mileage.

The key results of the program include stabilization of the economic situation at the factories that took part in the program and the reduction of the technological gap between domestic and foreign automakers in addition to the reduced dependence of Belarus and Russia on imported automobiles.