Business news

MINSK, 8 August (BelTA) – A Japanese private sector delegation led by Chairman of the Board of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Corporation Shigeru Murayama will visit Belarus in October, BelTA learned from Sergei Rakhmanov, Chairman of the International Affairs and National Security Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus.

According to the source, the chairman of the board of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Corporation will visit Belarus for the first time in October. It is a multibillion company with the turnover measured in billions. Shigeru Murayama also works as the head of the Japan Association for Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO). It is an agency set up by the Japanese Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry to promote cooperation with post-Soviet countries.

ROTOBO unites about 150 companies, this is why the Japanese delegation will be measured in dozens of businessmen. “During this visit we are going to work on rather serious projects, which we are now preparing for discussion,” said the senator.

Japan is a world technology leader, this is why Belarus is interested in bringing investments and technologies from that country. “First of all, we focus on high technologies such as microelectronics, robots, biotechnologies, and additive technologies,” said Sergei Rakhmanov. In his words, the participation of Japanese companies in ongoing projects in Belarus is under consideration, including projects in metallurgy, pharmaceutics, and paper production.

“Our job is to set up a platform where experts could work out the relevant recommendations, submit concrete proposals to our Japanese partners. We are doing just that,” said the senator. “We’ve already agreed that we will set up a permanent group, which will take care of analytics on a permanent basis instead of during visits. I think it will produce certain results at the end of the year and more results next year.”

Sergei Rakhmanov pointed out that not only Japanese companies are interested in Belarus. Financial bodies and investment banks are interested in Belarus, too. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has expressed a clear-cut interest in advancing relations. “A combination of business and financial structures is exactly what we need right now. It is of crucial importance for the corresponding Belarusian ministries and government agencies as well as individual companies to demonstrate the relevant activity,” concluded the senator.