Andrei Kobyakov is welcomed in Tatarstan. Courtesy of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus
KAZAN, 15 March (BelTA) – Belarus and Tatarstan intend to increase the trade turnover to at least $2 billion. The statement was made by Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov during the expanded-participation meeting with Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, BelTA has learned.
“Tatarstan is a long-time friend and a major economic partner of Belarus. Our trade and economic cooperation has rather a serious scale,” noted Andrei Kobyakov.
Despite those facts the mutual trade turnover is falling, stated the Prime Minister. “The maximum figure we had in 2012 was $2 billion. In 2015 the figure was less than half of that. But trade is still decent in physical terms. We intend to return to our top figures and to add a lot in the areas where opportunities are obvious,” stated the Belarusian head of government.
Andrei Kobyakov mentioned manufacturing cooperation as one of such avenues. “At present conditions are favorable for taking our bilateral relations to the next level. Joint ventures to assemble MTZ agricultural machines have been established in Tatarstan. Our enterprise Bobruiskagromash makes mounted machines, including those fit for MTZ tractors. It would also be absolutely right to develop lift production,” stated Andrei Kobyakov.
In turn, Rustam Minnikhanov stated that Belarus and Tatarstan cooperate vigorously in various areas. In his words, during the restricted-attendance meeting the sides discussed prospects of developing OOO Trading House MTZ-YelAZ. “I am convinced that our arrangements will allow expanding and stabilizing the operation in addition to presenting a wider choice of Belarusian machines on the Russian market,” said Rustam Minnikhanov.
In 2015 Belarus-Tatarstan trade totaled $878.4 million (sixth among all the regions of Russia), 24.8% down from 2014. Belarus had a foreign trade deficit of $475.6 million.
Belarus' main exports include tractors and road tractors, liquefied gas, parts and accessories for automobiles and tractors, plastic containers, air or vacuum pumps, machines and devices for lifting, moving, loading or unloading, metal structures made of ferrous metals. Belarus imports from Tatarstan such commodities as crude oil, including natural gas liquids, oil products, styrole polymers, propylene polymers, acyclic alcohol and its derivatives, ethylene polymers, control panels, panels, tables for electric equipment, tires, liquefied gas.
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