Events

ST PETERSBURG, 28 March (BelTA) – Belarus is interested in active participation of Russian regions in the cooperation between the two countries, Belarus Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov said at the 10^th meeting of the Belarus-St Petersburg Business Cooperation Council in St Petersburg on 28 March, BelTA has learned.

“Belarus is aimed at more active involvement of Russian regions in the cooperation of the two countries, and St Petersburg is our strategic trade partner,” said Andrei Kobyakov. In 2017 the trade between Belarus and St Petersburg totaled $1.67 billion, up 19.7% from 2016.

"We have a solid growth in mutual trade. This is a diversified growth, with a wide range of mutual deliveries. We have had higher figures in mutual trade before. We hope that in the very near future, maybe even this year, we will be able to surpass the maximum we had four years ago,” the prime minister said.

According to Andrei Kobyakov, the development of interregional cooperation is one of the main directions of joint work. “The administrations of the regions of Belarus and St. Petersburg need to implement the planned joint activities and projects with maximum efficiency,” he said.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the Minsk Days in St. Petersburg scheduled for 2018 would be held at a high organizational level and would become an important event in the business and cultural life of the Russian city.

“We are ready to discuss any mutually beneficial proposals and initiatives. I assure you that Belarus will provide maximum support to all the proposals and ideas aimed at further fruitful cooperation,” Andrei Kobyakov said.