Russia’s Kalmykia interested in Belarusian assistance in oil exploration, production

Yuri Seliverstov said Kalmykia’s authorities are considering exploring its mineral resources, with less than 10% of the republic’s territory currently surveyed. “Our partners are interested in working with us and getting our assistance in exploring and developing these geological resources. Primarily, this is oil located in their territory. This is also a fairly large and extensive area of cooperation,” he said.

Yuri Seliverstov noted that the talks covered both issues common to most Russian regions: supplies of Belarusian machinery and its servicing - and new areas of cooperation related to Kalmykia’s specific needs. The republic covers a vast territory comparable in size to some European countries, while its population density is relatively low. Therefore, the Kalmyk authorities expressed interest in Belarus’ experience in providing social services in rural areas, including organizing trade, medical care, and transportation for children to schools. “For example, we have mobile feldsher-obstetric stations based on MAZ vehicles, where people can undergo fluorography and X-rays, have tests taken, and receive medical check-ups. This is of interest to our Kalmyk counterparts because these vehicles have good cross-country capability, which is important given the roads and distances involved,” he said.

The talks also touched upon tourism development. According to the ambassador, Kalmykia is of interest to Belarusians for its Buddhist temples, while residents of the Russian region are attracted by Belarusian nature and opportunities for spa and health resort treatment. “Therefore, our colleagues are interested in joint efforts to launch a flight from Elista to Minsk so that we can subsequently develop the tourism business,” he said.

“There are many issues to address, and we need to work on them. I think our visit will give a certain impetus to the development of cooperation,” Yuri Seliverstov concluded.