/ / News
06.09.2012

Belarus President encourages to use Customs Union, SES advantages in full

MINSK, 6 September (BelTA) – Belarus and regions of Russia should use all the advantages of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space (SES) as much as possible, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with a delegation of Kursk Oblast, Russia on 6 September. The delegation was led by the oblast’s Governor Alexander Mikhailov, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that Belarus has been successfully cooperating with the majority of Russia’s regions for many years, particularly after tighter integration was established by the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space.

Addressing the Kursk Oblast Governor, Alexander Lukashenko underlined that this Russian region has a considerable economic potential and is a reliable partner of Belarus. “Your sincere informal attitude to working together with Belarus testifies to the interest in further expanding the interaction and searching for new areas of cooperation,” the Belarusian head of state believes.

The President remarked that the bilateral trade has tripled in the past ten years. At the same time he believes that Belarus and Kursk Oblast have not reached the pre-crisis trade level so far. Alexander Lukashenko said that raising the mutual trade should become the primary goal for the near future. In his opinion, the sides have the capability to secure a considerable increase in the trade volume.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, the quality structure of the bilateral trade should be analyzed to increase the share of high-tech and science-intensive products. The head of state pointed out that Belarus manufactures a large choice of machines and vehicles, including the agricultural ones and mining ones that Kursk Oblast needs. Belarusian agrarian scientists, who have achieved respectable results in crop selection and animal breeding, are ready to work together with Kursk Oblast colleagues. Apart from that, Belarus is ready to offer its civil engineering services. Alexander Lukashenko remarked that Belarusian construction companies have extensive experience of designing and building homes, in many parts of the world at that.

“The list of areas of mutual interest can go on and on. The implementation of innovation projects will secure a special positive effect. It will encourage the intensive development of our economies,” said the President of Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko said he was confident in the seriousness of cooperation prospects between Belarus and Kursk Oblast. He is convinced that the Kursk Oblast delegation visit would contribute to further promotion of Belarus’ relations not only with this region of Russia but with the entire country, too. The head of state suggested that the delegation should consider concrete avenues of bilateral cooperation that would invigorate the relations.

In turn, Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Mikhailov underlined the intention of the oblast to promote ties with Belarus. He believes that the sides can at least double the bilateral trade. In 2011 the bilateral trade stood at $122 million while in H1 2012 it reached $73 million, 23% up from the same period of last year.

Alexander Mikhailov pointed out that a joint venture was set up in Kursk Oblast in 2012 to assemble trolleybuses. The Governor believes that the enterprise has serious prospects of shipping these products across the entire region of Central Russia. Relevant negotiations with Russian regions are now underway.

The Governor also remarked that Kursk Oblast was ready to supply the widest choice of products to the Belarusian market.