Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 15 May (BelTA) - Belarus attaches great importance to the development of cooperation with Georgia, Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko said as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Belarus Valeri Kvaratskhelia on the occasion of the start of his diplomatic mission, BelTA has learned.

“We seek to develop mutually beneficial equal cooperation. That was demonstrated by the visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to Georgia in March this year. The visit, we believe, was very productive. And most importantly it was aimed at developing trade and economic cooperation. That was the central theme of the visit,” Vladimir Andreichenko noted.

Following the visit, the countries signed a number of documents and reached agreements on specific projects. Among them is the setting up of an elevator assembly facility in Georgia. With regard to the volume of mutual trade, the plans are in place to raise to $200 million. The speaker assured that members of the parliaments of Belarus and Georgia will not contribute to fulfilling this task.

The Belarusian Parliament is very attentive to the ratification of documents that are signed. “I think the House of Representatives will receive the treaties and agreements signed during the visit of the Belarusian president very soon. One of the most important is the one on the mutual visa-free trips of our citizens. I think there will be no problems in this respect,” he said.

Chairman of the Georgian Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze visited Belarus in 2017. “I think it is time we started planning a return visit,” said Vladimir Andreichenko. Belarus’ parliamentary working group on cooperation with the Georgia Parliament includes 21 MPs. The similar working group in the Georgian parliament comprises 56 MPs. As part of the agreement with Irakli Kobakhidze, Belarus has prepared a roadmap for cooperation which will be submitted to Georgia for introducing amendments and additions. The document contains a number of areas, including matters related to trade, economic and cultural interaction, and also cooperation in healthcare, sports, and tourism.

The agreements that were signed during the recent visit of the Belarusian president to Georgia are under implementation, the ambassador said. Gomselmash is set to supply 30 grain harvesters to Georgia. Their presentation is scheduled for 26 May. The parties are discussing the delivery of electric buses. It is possible that a joint plant to produce Belarusian electric buses will be set up in Tbilisi.