Business news

26 Sep 2023

Lukashenko: Belarus-Leningrad Oblast trade should go beyond one billion dollar mark

An archive photo

MINSK, 26 September (BelTA) – Achieving a $1 billion trade with Russia’s Leningrad Oblast is a provisional target, as bilateral trade can be higher, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Leningrad Oblast Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, BelTA reports.

The head of state recalled that during the previous meeting with the governor, the parties set a goal to reach a billion dollar in trade. “To achieve this, year-on-year supply volumes will have to grow by 20%. I believe that the task is feasible in the current situation, and we will definitely not limit ourselves to a billion. This is a provisional guideline,” the Belarusian leader noted.

Thanks to cooperation in manufaturing, Belarus and Russia were able to make the most of each other’s strengths to achieve technological sovereignty, the president said.

“This will not only help us respond to the West’s attempts to put pressure on us, but will also help create a new, healthy and competitive environment within our union [the Union State of Belarus and Russia],” Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced.

He cited a simple example: despite the robust growth of the agricultural industry in Belarus and Leningrad Oblast, the parties do not compete, but find areas where they can be of use to each other.

“The areas where we really shine are the production of agricultural machines and equipment, grain drying complexes, equipment for feed mills, as well as food production, seed production, and many other industries,” the president continued. Belarus is actively sharing its best practices with farmers from Leningrad Oblast, including its knowhow in the field of veterinary medicine, where the first steps have been taken to develop cooperation.

“What results have been achieved? What opportunities, in your opinion, are still there in this area? And what problems need to be overcome?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.

Of interest to Belarus is Leningrad Oblast’s expertise in livestock breeding, the production of valuable fish species, and the technology of operating greenhouse complexes.

“In turn, farmers from Leningrad Oblast may benefit from our experience in cultivating winter barley and rapeseed,” added the Belarusian leader. “I also propose to thrash out plans to increase supplies of Belarusian agricultural machinery, including using regional subsidies, as well as equipment for the processing industry,” the president suggested.

Aleksandr Lukashenko cited cooperation with Russia’s Kuban region as a case in point: “They opted for our equipment, we responded. We are bringing our technologies and competencies there... We started out from assembly factories, now we run joint ventures, increase the localization level. We can do the same with you,” he suggested.

The president also touched upon cooperation in transport infrastructure development. Belarusian enterprises are actively participating in the construction of the Vysotsky Grain Terminal in Vyborg District, which will have the storage capacity of 210,000 tonnes of grain (the terminal’s design capacity is 4 million tonnes per year).

“I am sure that this project will also be highly beneficial to our friends from Latin America: Brazil, Venezuela and other countries,” the Belarusian leader said.

He thanked Aleksandr Drozdenko for his decision to invite domestic enterprises to implement projects in Leningrad Oblast. One of such projects is the construction of water purification and treatment stations. Belarusian technologies were used in turnkey projects to build 37 such facilities in Leningrad Oblast.

“I have been told that you have drafted a program to build more than 100 such facilities. Our Development Bank is ready to take part in funding these projects,” the president said.

The projects that Belarus is running in Leningrad Oblast include the construction of a school for 825 children in Lomonosovsky District of St. Petersburg. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the government is mulling over the provision of a special export loan.

Speaking about new avenues of cooperation, the head of state mentioned the participation of Belarusian design, construction and installation organizations in comprehensive upgrade of fuel and energy facilities (boiler houses), in the construction and renovation of heat supply facilities for municipal districts of the region, as well as the supply of Belarusian building materials, road construction equipment, cement, wall materials, prefabricated structures, and bitumen, as well as the exchange of best practices in using advanced road construction technologies.

Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed not to create parallel (overlapping) capacities to produce goods that can be imported from Belarus. “You and I will always come to terms on supplies, always, and for a long term. Today both of us need to spend money on essential things. Why create overlapping production facilities? And the areas I have listed are related to this issue. Mutual exchange of products is very important,” the Belarusian leader noted.

“If you need any help, you can count on us, we will not let you down,” the president added. “We should explore the areas where we can complement each other and achieve good results in order to meet the goal that we have set,” he noted.

Trade between Belarus and Leningrad Oblast is on the rise this year. In January-July 2023 it amounted to about $533 million, up by almost a quarter year-on-year. The Belarusian export reached $139 million, an increase of more than 44% year-on-year. The main export items include petroleum products, meat and poultry by-products, steel and aluminum rods, men’s clothing, machines and devices for lifting, moving, loading or unloading.

In 2022, trade exceeded $834 million, an increase of almost 19% over 2021.



Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa