Belarus, Russia's Orenburg Oblast seek to step up cooperation

The participants of the meeting analyzed the results of trade and economic cooperation in 2019 and in January-April of this year, the progress in the plan of measures for 2018-2020 to implement the agreement between the governments of Belarus and Orenburg Oblast on trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation. The parties also discussed topical issues of cooperation in agriculture, industry, construction and joint projects.

Tatiana Lugina, the head of Bellegprom, noted that Orenburg Oblast is one of its priority partners in Russia. She expressed confidence that once the pandemic restrictions are lifted the parties will increase cooperation on all fronts and will celebrate the end of this year, which is the final year in the plan of cooperation, with good results.

Belarus and Orenburg Oblast are reliable strategic partners who cooperate in all economic areas and are constantly looking for new avenues of cooperation, said Sergei Balykin, the first vice governor - the first deputy head of the government of Orenburg Oblast - minister of agriculture, trade, food and processing industry of the Russian region.

The Russian partners noted that MTZ farm machines, MAZ and Amkodor road and utility vehicles, Bellegprom goods, the Belarusian cosmetics are always in demand. The government of Orenburg Oblast has proposed to set up a virtual showroom on the website of the regional export promotion center to showcase Belarusian manufacturers.

The participants of the meeting expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation in education. The Belarusian side is willing to share its developments in livestock and crop production, construction of agricultural facilities.

Belarus' Deputy Industry Minister Dmitry Kharitonchik noted that there are opportunities to expand the supply of passenger equipment to Orenburg Oblast and said that a new electric bus produced by MAZ is currently being tested. By the end of the year, Belarus will send Russian partners a commercial offer to supply this vehicle.

At the end of the video conference, Tatiana Lugina lauded the annual international forum “Orenburg Oblast - the heart of Eurasia”, thanked the Russian partners for their active position in cooperation and invited them to take part in the 7th Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia, which will be held in Minsk and the Minsk Oblast in September.

On behalf of Belarus, the video conference featured the co-chair of the joint working group, Bellegprom head Tatiana Lugina, the head of the Belarusian Embassy in Ufa Piotr Baltrukovich, Deputy Industry Minister Dmitry Kharitonchik, Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Alla Lomakina, Deputy Architecture and Construction Minister Oleg Shvets, and top executives of the Belarusian Cement Company, MAZ, MTZ, Mogilevliftmash and Gomselmash companies.

The Russian region was represented by the first vice governor - the first deputy head of the government of Orenburg Oblast - minister of agriculture, trade, food and processing industry Sergei Balykin, first deputy minister of economic development, investment, tourism and external relations Natalia Struntsova, Deputy Industry and Energy Minister Dmitry Kulakov, representatives of the Ministry of construction, Housing and Utilities, Roads and Transport, Orenburg State Agricultural University, and Orenburg Minerals company.