Dmitry Sharonov
MINSK, 4 March (BelTA) – In 2016 Bashkortostan hopes to increase oil deliveries to Belarus to make up for a drop in 2015, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan of Russia Dmitry Sharonov told reporters, BelTA has learned.
“There are economic trends: demand decreases, so does the supply. But recession is always followed by growth and we expect that this growth will restore in 2016,” said Dmitry Sharonov. Oil supplies from Bashkortostan to Belarus decreased last year as there was a fall in the demand,” added the Deputy Prime Minister
According to the Belarusian side, the country received crude oil worth about $190.6 million from Bashkortostan, down almost 14% compared to 2014.
Dmitry Sharonov noted that in the long term Belarus and Bashkortostan will continue cooperation between in traditional avenues. These are engineering, agriculture, high technology, and oil refining. “We would like to deepen cooperation in the field of new technology, including gas engines as Russia is going to have big gas-engine development programs. Certainly, petrochemical and refining industries are also in the zone of our interests,” Dmitry Sharonov noted.
The parties discussed the results of the previous periods and identified the areas for future cooperation, Dmitry Sharonov informed. “We examined the existing dynamics of our relationship. Understandably, it was due to the slowdown in the economy. We hope that in 2016 the problems will be resolved and the cooperation will continue in accordance with schedule,” he noted. He also assured that Bashkortostan will make every effort to ensure momentum in the bilateral trade.
Belarus imported products worth of $417 million from Bashkortostan in 2015 (up 26.5% over 2014), and exported $102.5 million worth of goods (which accounts for 79.3% as against 2014). Total trade between Bashkortostan and Belarus exceeded $519 million last year, which was up 13.2% from a year earlier.
In 2015 Belarus' major exports to Bashkortostan were refrigerators and freezers ($39.8 million), wood-particle boards ($8.6 million), fiberglass ($4.4 million) and also powdered and condensed milk, complex synthetic threads, trucks, pipes and profiles made of ferrous metals, washing machines, footwear and other goods. Belarus' main import items from Bashkortostan were oil, carbonates, caustic soda, hydrocarbons.
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