Belarus to promote cooperation with Russia’s Kaluga Oblast in industry, agriculture, construction

“I rate the cooperation [with Kaluga Oblast] quite highly. We have visited industrial enterprises and construction sites and everywhere our colleagues find ways to apply themselves within the framework of industrial cooperation. This includes matters related to MAZ chassis vehicles: the Mercator plant uses them to make municipal superstructures. It also includes the development of an engine by our company BelAZ as well as the construction of housing and social facilities.

The scope of activities is broad, as it should be, because we have quite broad interests,” the ambassador told reporters as he summed up results of the working trip.

Yuri Seliverstov said that Kaluga Oblast is interested in the construction of dairy complexes and the equipment Belarus makes for them. This avenue of cooperation is planned to be discussed during the Kaluga Region delegation’s scheduled visit to Belarus in summer. He noted that cooperation with Belarusian machine-tool manufacturers will also be developed: their products are widely used by the manufacturing sector of the Russian region.

At the same time, the ambassador believes it is necessary to look for new cooperation projects. “This is why we have agreed to develop a joint action plan for the future. Our colleagues from Kaluga Oblast will visit us, our specialists will visit Kaluga Oblast, and we will work in all areas,” he noted.

Belarusian builders work hard in Kaluga Oblast: over the past five years they have built more than 500,000m2 of housing as well as 8 kindergartens and 10 schools. Right now the region is considering the idea of renovating its housing stock and the ambassador assured that Belarus is also ready to contribute to its realization.