Business news

BREST, 11 August (BelTA) – Brest Oblast is interested in closer ties with Uzbekistan’s regions, Brest Oblast First Deputy Governor Nikolai Tokar said on 11 August, BelTA has learned.

Brest welcomed a delegation from Uzbekistan on 11 August. The delegation included government officials and businessmen from Fergana Oblast, Bukhara Oblast and Syrdarya Oblast.

“Uzbekistan is one of our key partners in Central Asia. We are interested in forging long-term partner relations in trade, economy, social sphere and culture. Our efforts have resulted in the increase in bilateral trade that made up $15 million in January-June. However, this is not enough. I hope that today’s meeting will give a fresh impetus to bilateral trade. We have everything in place to expand our cooperation,” Nikolai Tokar said.

During the economic forum and the business match-making session the parties discussed promising areas of bilateral cooperation. “Improvement of interregional contacts is a locomotive of the bilateral relations. If all the regions of the two countries cooperate, this will not only strengthen friendly and brotherly relations, but also improve the economic capacities. I believe we will find many areas of common interest. In particular, our delegation features businessmen who are interested in joint projects with Belarusian partners in the field of processing agricultural produce and meat and dairy products,” Fergana Oblast Deputy Hokim Mukhsinkhuja Abdurakhmonov said.

Representatives of Syrdarya Oblast are also optimistic about cooperation prospects in the agricultural industry. They also voiced interest in expanding contacts in the manufacturing industry and tourism. “We need to mull over a possibility of mutual supplies of goods. For example, we could supply Belarusian products to the markets where we have a solid stance. At the same time, Belarus could deliver popular products from Uzbekistan to the markets of Eastern Europe. One more option is establishment of trading houses,” Syrdarya Oblast Deputy Hokim Avaz Hojiev believes. He added that the parties reached preliminary arrangements in certain matters.

According to Chairman of the Economy Committee of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee Mikhail Batsenko, the region would like to see comprehensive development of regional contacts with Uzbekistan. “Our companies are interested in direct supplies of cotton from Uzbekistan, because this makes products cheaper. Talks are underway to deliver Belarusian building materials to Uzbekistan and supplies of dried fruit to Belarus. We also see good prospects of expanding cooperation with Bukhara Oblast in the field of manufacturing,” he noted.

During the economic forum in Brest the parties outlined future cooperation areas. The arrangements will be fleshed out in September.