Opinions & Interviews

MOGILEV, 4 April (BelTA) – Kazakhstan has an interest in closer trade and economic relations with Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belarus Yermukhamet Yertysbayev noted as he met with Mogilev Oblast Governor Vladimir Domanevsky on 4 April, BelTA informs.

“Belarus and Kazakhstan have close friendly long-term relations. Cooperation between the regions has gained momentum, trade and economic ties have also been gradually developing. However, both countries are not satisfied with the current level of our relations, given their immense potential. The two heads of state have targeted $1 billion in bilateral trade by 2020 for a reason,” the ambassador remarked.

In his words, he has decided to pay his first visit to a Belarusian region to Mogilev Oblast as it has a great industrial potential. Today Kazakhstan shows interest in Mogilev-made elevators, Bobruisk tires, and food products. “We have decided to gradually reduce the use of agricultural vehicles made in the USA and other countries because the maintenance costs too much. We intend to put more focus on Belarusian agricultural vehicles which are as good as their foreign analogies, are reliable and easy to operate. Moreover, we are working on establishing a network of joint assembly and maintenance centers for Belarusian agricultural machinery,” the Kazakh diplomat emphasized.

“We need to pay more attention to investment and industrial cooperation, and effective business projects, including those to set up joint ventures. In this context, we should be moving towards making competitive products to be sold to other countries. We may even found transnational corporations in the EAEU if need be,” the ambassador said.

Mogilev Oblast is open to all-round interregional cooperation with Kazakhstan, Vladimir Domanevsky highlighted. As of today, there are four commercial entities with Kazakhstan’s capital in the region. Mogilev Oblast-Kazakhstan trade has also been growing steadily. In January-February 2018 alone, it reached almost $9.5 million (up 6.5% from the same period a year prior). Exports of goods went up by more than 3%. The farm exports of Mogilev Oblast-based agricultural manufacturers to Kazakhstan rose more than five times over this period of time. “All these things show the interest in the development of bilateral relations and the huge potential which is far from exhausted. We need to move to a new level of relations, from trade to closer cooperation between the companies, by setting up joint ventures and putting into practice creative business projects and ideas,” the governor pointed out.

He invited the ambassador and Kazakh businessmen to take part in the international investment forum Mill of Success due in Mogilev from 29 to 30 June. The sides have agreed to arrange a meeting for businessmen of Mogilev Oblast and West Kazakhstan region by the 2018 year-end to outline promising avenues of economic cooperation and discuss specific joint projects.

During the visit to Mogilev Oblast, Yermukhamet Yertysbayev met with senior staff and students of Kuleshov Mogilev State University and learned more about the making of dairy products at Babushkina Krynka company.