MINSK, 24 December (BelTA) - Prospects for stepping up trade with Moscow are great, First Deputy Chairwoman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Nadezhda Lazarevich said during a meeting of the working group on coordination of interaction between the city of Moscow and the Republic of Belarus, BelTA learned.
“The importance of cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and Russian regions, including Moscow, has been repeatedly emphasized today. This is one of the priority areas of Belarusian-Russian interaction,” Nadezhda Lazarevich said.
Belarus’ major exports to Moscow are mechanical engineering goods: cars and trucks, freight railroad cars and streetcars, electronic integrated circuits, furniture, and automobile spare parts and accessories.
“Given the potential, the prospects for increasing mutual trade are great. This emphasizes the need to take additional measures to intensify the bilateral dialogue,” Nadezhda Lazarevich said.
Compared with 2023 trade rose by 16% (including exports by 15% and imports by 20%). This year, jointly with the Moscow City Government, we drew up and signed a roadmap of cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the city of Moscow for 2024-2026. The document covers the key areas of interaction. Belarus is ready to supply passenger, utility and agricultural machinery to Moscow on a long-term basis.
"For example, the MAZ mechanical engineering company shipped a total of 119 units to Moscow in 2024. In January-October 2024, MTZ trading house delivered 410 units of utility vehicles to Moscow. AMKODOR sold 63 units of construction machinery worth $3.7 million. It is also working on the delivery of another 170 units," Nadezhda Lazarevich said.
She also added that such enterprises as MAZ and Belkommunmash are willing to participate in the program to renew Moscow's bus fleet and promote urban electric transport. In 2025, Belarus plans to deliver a batch of its buses and test the most promising models of Belarusian vehicles on the streets of the Russian capital.
"We are modernizing MAZ's production facilities to increase the output of urban transport. We hope to land major contracts to supply vehicles to Moscow," Nadezhda Lazarevich stressed.