Business news

MINSK, 28 February (BelTA) – Due to successful implementation of joint projects Belarus and Turkmenistan increased their mutual trade by one third in 2013, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian embassy in Turkmenistan.

According to the diplomatic mission, Turkmenistan is Belarus’ most important partner in Central Asia. Trade and economic cooperation is a priority area in bilateral cooperation. Over the past eight years the trade between the two countries has soared more than 20 times. In 2013 Belarus and Turkmenistan demonstrated high record figures in mutual trade, occupying the fourth position in the CIS exports. The trade totaled $319.9 million, up almost 35% on 2012. The Belarusian export reached $316.1 million (136.5%). The import of Turkmen goods to Belarus made up $3.8 million (60.8%).

The recent increase in mutual trade is based, first of all, on the implementation of agreements reached between the two heads of state and demonstrates the present friendly relations between the Republic of Belarus and Turkmenistan, the embassy said. In 2013 Belarus supplied Turkmenistan mainly with value added goods: trucks, special-purpose vehicles, tractors, road-building machinery, equipment and materials for the Garlyk mining and processing factory, wires and cables, medicines, products of the woodworking industry, farm produce (ethanol, malt, cheese, juice).

According to the diplomats, cooperation in the supplies of Belarusian farm and automobile vehicles has contributed to the development of bilateral relations. Thanks to the agreements reached by the two Presidents, more than 5,000 MTZ tractors and over 5,000 MAZ trucks were delivered to Turkmenistan in 2009-2013.

Among the most significant projects for Belarus and Turkmenistan was the turn-key construction of a mining and processing complex with the annual output of 1.4 million tonnes of potash fertilizers at the Garlyk potassium-salt minefield by Belarusian specialists.

The intergovernmental Belarusian-Turkmen commission on economic cooperation plays an important role in increasing the mutual trade. The commission is an efficient mechanism for boosting and diversifying mutually beneficial trading relations. The commission held its fifth meeting in Ashgabat on 31 October 2013. A business cooperation council has been set up by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Belarus and Turkmenistan. Trading Houses in Ashgabat and Minsk promote and expand the product portfolio in mutual supplies.

With the assistance of the diplomatic mission Belarus was visited by several groups of Turkmen businessmen that held talks in Minsk City Hall, Minsk Oblast Executive Committee, the Belarusian State Food Industry Concern. They also visited Minsk Dairy No.1, Borisov Meat Packing Plant, Minsk Meat Packing Plant, Mogilevliftmash Company. Belarusian diplomats held meetings with representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries and agencies of Turkmenistan.