Business news

MINSK, 5 May (BelTA) - Belarus will diversify exports, maintaining positions on its traditional markets, Belarus Vice Premier Vladimir Semashko said at the Exporter of the Year 2015 awards ceremony on 5 May, BelTA has learned.

“Today exports for us is number one issue for the nation, the state, and future generations. We must know how to sell a product with high value added in order to secure viability and prosperity of the state, and we are making headway in this. We should not abandon our traditional markets and we should also develop new ones,” Vladimir Semashko noted.

According to the Vice Premier, the year 2015 was rather difficult for Belarus’ main trading partner – Russia, which could not but affect Belarus’ revenue from exports. Domestic companies, however, could enter new markets. For instance, the organizations under the Industry Ministry increased supplies to the African states 1.5 times, to Latin America almost 2 times.

Vladimir Semashko stated that Belarus has been gradually progressing in developing new markets in Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America. Belarus also keeps its supplies to the Russian market at the same level, and even increases them in some cases. “In order to continue succeeding, we should constantly improve the quality of the product, produce goods with absolutely new application properties,” the Vice Premier said.

On 5 May Minsk played host to the awards ceremony of the nationwide contest Exporter of the Year 2015. A total of 121 companies entered the final stage. The major goal of the contest is to give a boost to the export-oriented production, enhance the prestige of national producers on the global market, increase the volume and improve the quality and competitive ability of the exported goods, works and services.