Business news

18 Dec 2023

Lukashenko: Belarus-Moscow Oblast trade will be all-time high in 2023

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The trade between Belarus and Moscow Oblast of Russia will exceed $10 billion this year, which is an all-time high, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Moscow Oblast Governor Andrei Vorobyov, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that this is Andrei Vorobyov’s first visit to Belarus in the capacity of the governor. The president expressed confidence that he will visit the country again for reasons other than work. The president also praised the professionalism of Andrei Vorobyov’s team, thanks to whom Moscow Oblast has been performing consistently better than other Russian regions across various social and economic indicators.

Moscow Oblast is a strategic partner for Belarus, the head of state emphasized. It ranks first among Russian regions in terms of trade with Belarus. Thus, in January-October 2023, the trade increased by almost a quarter to exceed $9 billion. “This is a significant achievement given that the base was already high last year when the trade expanded by over 25%,” the Belarusian leader remarked. “This year the trade is projected to considerably exceed $10 billion. This is the best result throughout the entire history of Belarus’ cooperation with your region,” the president noted.

Belarus and Moscow Oblast trade in nearly everything they produce, mostly household appliances, foodstuffs (butter, cheese), metal products, medicines, equipment, spare parts and many more.

“Such a robust trade is largely attributed to the favorable location of Moscow Oblast, which makes the region a kind of logistics hub and a central point for regional supply chains,” the president said.