Business news

MOGILEV, 12 October (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia need to secure their companies’ operation at full capacity through the development of joint import-substituting programs, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at a plenary session of the 5th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia on 12 October, BelTA has learned.

Coordinated industrial policy and further deepening of cooperation remain a priority in the Belarusian-Russian economic relations, the Belarusian head of state said. According to him, the most important thing of interregional cooperation is the implementation of cooperation projects in mechanical engineering, woodworking, food and light industry.

“We need to develop joint import-substituting programs to ensure that our companies operate at their full capacity. Then our manufacturing facilities will be able to further develop in the interests of the two countries. We discussed this issue in detail at the meeting in Sochi. I hope that we will soon make decisions to remove all obstacles to the development of joint companies,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed.

The president noted that the attractiveness of any integration association is determined by the conditions of economic cooperation of its subjects. This means favorable conditions for trade and the opportunity to jointly implement profitable projects in various fields.

Another promising area is the development of cooperation in the construction industry. “Belarusian specialists can build any kind of social and economic infrastructure of high quality. We have already implemented such projects in a number of the cities in the Central Federal District. There are also positive examples in Sakhalin,” the head of state said.

Russia has been setting up clusters, industrial parks, and priority development areas. “We are ready to take part in such projects. We need to use effectively the huge scientific, industrial and personnel potential of the two countries for the development of joint products,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

In his words, through joint efforts Belarus and Russia has already made progress in the machine-tool industry, the design of an engine for haulers, the supply of components for the automotive industry. Various types of technical carbon are produced at the Omsk Carbon Mogilev plant in Belarus. The Sodruzhestvo group of companies (Svetly, Kaliningrad Oblast) has set up a production and logistics complex and an oil extraction plant to produce soybean and rapeseed products in Smorgon, Grodno Oblast.

“All these projects have been implemented with the direct support of Belarusian and Russian governors. In many respects, it is thanks to their commitment that such positive undertakings bring our states together and fill Belarusian-Russian relations with new projects,” the president said.

The head of state stressed that the development of cooperation with the regions of Russia is a priority of Belarus’ foreign economic policy. “I am convinced that the current forum will help us discuss ways to increase the effectiveness of interstate cooperation and enable us to identify possible breakthrough areas and tasks for the future,” the Belarusian leader said.