Business news

MINSK, 10 May (BelTA) – There are plans to enable direct air service between Minsk and the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, BelTA learned from Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy after the ninth session of the working group on cooperation between Belarus and Rostov Oblast on 10 May.

Mikhail Rusy said: “Today the matter of air service between Minsk and Rostov was raised. The matter is left unsettled for now. We expect that a solution will be found soon.” In his words, arranging the air service will allow invigorating business contacts between Belarus and Rostov Oblast. It will also increase the transit appeal of the Russian region for the Belarusian side in addition to more actively using the region’s tourism opportunities.

Mikhail Rusy stressed that Belarus and Rostov Oblast will have to raise the bilateral trade turnover to at least $500 million. There are good prospects for stepping up cooperation in agriculture, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, information technologies, and healthcare. “For instance, we are interested in cooperation with the large agribusiness holding company Yug Rusi. It already supplies 40% of the sunflower oil Belarus gets. But Belarusian companies could work with the holding company to make products like soap or perfumery,” he said.

The deputy prime minister stated that Rostov Oblast is one of the most important prospective trade and economic partners for Belarus.

The next session of the working group will take place in H2 2018.