Opinions & Interviews

Belarus’ PM addresses INNOPROM. Qazaqstan forum

MINSK, 25 September (BelTA) – The plenary session of the INNOPROM. Qazaqstan international industrial forum has kicked off in Astana, BelTA reports.

Addressing the plenary session, Belarus’ Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko emphasized that “INNOPROM is no longer just a showcase event, but Eurasia’s largest industrial, scientific and innovation forum dedicated to the latest technologies and developments”.

Roman Golovchenko noted that this year Kazakhstan is hosting the forum for the first time, and it is a great honor for Belarusians to run their national exposition in Astana.

“The expo is of particular importance today, as illegitimate sanctions are piling up. We have clearly realized that we can only count on ourselves, as well as on the support of our strategic partners. We maintain a high level of interaction in a bilateral format and through our integration entities,” said the prime minister.

As far as interaction with Kazakhstan is concerned, Roman Golovchenko noted that bilateral trade hit a one billion dollar mark in 2021.

“In 2022, it grew by more than 10%, and in January-July 2023, our trade approached $700 million, up more than 15% year-on-year. Kazakhstan steadily ranks second among our trading partners in the CIS after the Russian Federation,” the Belarusian head of government emphasized.

He added: “A testimony to the advancement of our interaction to a new level is the development of industrial cooperation, which is discussed so much, including within the framework of this forum. We have achieved the most remarkable success in the field of agricultural machinery. Currently, a project to make tractors in the Kostanay industrial zone is being successfully implemented. Since its launch in 2018, more than 3,000 tractors have already rolled off the assembly line. This year we plan to complete the next stage of the project and to start making tractor cabins. We plan to jointly produce engines and axles. Another Belarus-Kazakhstan joint project - Essil combines – is on display at the expo. Manufactured in Kazakhstan, these combines have been successfully operated in the country’s fields for several years now.”

“We are ready to share our competencies with our Kazakh friends,” Roman Golovchenko emphasized.

The Belarusian prime minister went on saying: “We are glad that tractors and combines presented at the Kazakh stand today bear the emblem “Made in Kazakhstan”.

“In this regard, we fully support the course announced by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev to build up own competencies and support national machinery manufacturers with a view to renewing the country’s machine and tractor fleet,” he said.

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