Opinions & Interviews

“Tatarstan is one of our key trading partners in Russia. We have eventually brought our trade back on the growth path. According to our data, the trade went up by 1.6 times in Q1 2017 as against the same period last year. Our exports to Tatarstan and our imports are increasing proportionally,” Andrei Kobyakov noted.

He believes that this indicates that the implementation of the plan of action to step up the cooperation between Belarus and Tatarstan in 2017-2020 is already bearing fruit. “Although our trade is still far from the level registered in 2012 when the figure stood at $2 billion, I think we should aim to restore this level,” the head of government noted.

Belarus hopes for further strengthening of industrial cooperation with Tatarstan in mechanical engineering. A project is currently underway to build a network of Tatneft gas filling stations in Belarus, and Yelabuga already has a plant assembling Belarusian MTZ tractors. “We would like to establish a machine-building cluster on this basis. The cluster may include Belarusian enterprises and plants set up with the participation of partners from Tatarstan. We also hope to reach an agreement with you on setting up a plant to manufacture elevators. This project would align well with Tatarstan’s plans for large-scale repairs and construction works,” the Belarusian prime minister said.

Belarus and Tatarstan could exchange meat and dairy products on mutually beneficial terms. They have great prospects for cooperation in science and technology, the prime minister believes.

Andrei Kobyakov is on a working visit to the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation on 25 and 26 May. The prime minister will visit Technopolis Khimgrad, Kazanorgsintez, and the Kazan Arena stadium. The head of government will attend sessions of the CIS Heads of Government Council and the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Kazan on 26 May. Andrei Kobyakov may hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the sessions.