Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 23 February (BelTA) – The purpose of the Belarusian-Italian business forum is to find new commodities to trade and to step up trade turnover between the two countries. The statement was made by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Italy Alexander Guryanov before the business forum began on 23 February, BelTA has learned.

“Our purpose is to increase trade turnover as much as possible, this is why during the forum we are going to discuss new commodity items. Apart from trade projects Italy is also interested in advancing investment cooperation. Their interests are simple: Belarus provides access to the Eurasian Economic Union,” stressed Alexander Guryanov.

The Ambassador remarked that Italy is a promising and active partner of Belarus in the European Union. “We have been developing business relations for a long time in a fruitful manner because we are similar in many things: Italy is also an exporter country. In 2014 we managed to reach a record-high trade turnover of over $2 billion. Last year saw a decline. Now we should put some efforts into restoring the trade turnover,” he stated.

In 2015 Belarus-Italy trade totaled $766.7 million. Belarus’ merchandise export to Italy reached $130.1 million. Last year Italian investments in the Belarusian economy totaled $28.8 million. In Belarus there are 204 enterprises with a share of Italian capital.

Over 30 representatives of Italian companies specializing in civil engineering, transport infrastructure, metalworking, leasing, power engineering, agriculture have come to take part in the business forum in Minsk.