Events

MINSK, 8 August (BelTA) – Minsk Oblast and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Oblast intend to step up mutual trade and expand regional cooperation in such spheres as agriculture, civil engineering, and personnel training. The governors of the two oblasts – Anatoly Isachenko and Gulomzhon Ibragimov – reached the relevant agreement during the meeting in the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee on 8 August, BelTA has learned.

A Tashkent Oblast delegation led by the governor arrived in Minsk to hold meetings and invigorate regional cooperation, in particular, in trade, economy, and investment. The visit is also supposed to establish and enhance direct ties with Minsk Oblast.

Gulomzhon Ibragimov explained that cooperation between Minsk Oblast and Tashkent Oblast can be productive in a large number of matters. Both have strong manufacturing sector and agriculture. Each has 22 districts. “Our arrival is aimed at direct regional interaction,” said the Tashkent Oblast governor. “We would like to explore cooperation avenues in agricultural processing industry (dairy and meat), confectionery industry, the establishment of an agricultural cluster and joint enterprises to make furniture, electric appliances,” he said.

Anatoly Isachenko believes that cooperation in agriculture has a lot of promise, including supplies of agricultural products, technological equipment, Belarusian pedigree products. The provision of designing services and civil engineering services for building dairy farms in Uzbekistan was mentioned as well as personnel training. “There are several facilities in Minsk Oblast, which offer hands-on training in crop farming and animal husbandry. There is a basic agricultural enterprise. There is every opportunity for learning new skills by practicing them,” explained Anatoly Isachenko.

Minsk Oblast Vice Governor Nikolai Rogashchuk told media that the list of cooperation avenues can be expanded with civil engineering (including cooperation between design agencies), utilities industry, fish farming, animal husbandry, the possibility of setting up joint ventures and providing aftersales service to Belarusian vehicles in Tashkent Oblast.

The sides agreed to work out a draft agreement on establishing long-term partnership with the Tashkent Oblast administration. The document will be signed when the Belarusian head of state visits Uzbekistan on 13-14 September 2018. A Made in Belarus expo is scheduled to take place in Tashkent on 14-19 September. It will feature products made by a number of Belarusian food companies.

The Uzbek delegation has already met with Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusy. Mutual interests were discussed during the meeting. After the meeting with representatives of the Minsk Oblast administration the Uzbek delegation went to Smolevichi District to see the latest Belarusian heavy-duty grain harvester in action. The delegation is also expected to visit the Belarusian haul trucks manufacturer BelAZ in Zhodino.