News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 20 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Ukraine on an official visit. The aircraft with the Belarusian head of state on board has landed in the Boryspil International Airport, BelTA has learned.

On 21 July Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is expected to meet with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko. One-on-one negotiations will be held as well as expanded-participation talks.

BelTA earlier quoted the press service of the Belarus president as saying that the heads of state will discuss the advancement of political, trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation between Belarus and Ukraine. Close attention will be paid to the current state and prospects of interaction in economy, including trade, investments, manufacturing cooperation, petrochemical industry, power engineering, agriculture, transport and logistics, and the advancement of the interregional dialogue. There are plans to come to terms on approaches to the future development of transboundary cooperation.

Ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine’s east will also be discussed. Belarus takes an active part in the process by providing a venue for negotiations between the parties involved.

Alexander Lukashenko and Petro Poroshenko will discuss the situation in the region as a whole. Opinions about international problems will be exchanged.

A number of documents on cooperation in various areas are supposed to be signed in the presence of the leaders of the two countries as a result of the negotiations.

A Belarusian-Ukrainian business forum will take place in Kiev the same day. There are plans to sign over $40 million worth of contracts during the forum. Over 300 participants representing Belarus and Ukraine have been registered. “It will be an interesting and intensive event for advancing the trade and economic relations,” Ambassador of Belarus to Ukraine Igor Sokol told media.

Belarus and Ukraine have signed about 200 agreements. Top-level and high-level meetings are regularly held. Active contacts are maintained between various industries.

Minsk has been a venue for negotiations on resolving the situation in Ukraine’s east since 2014. A document on ceasing combat operations and implementing a set of measures to fulfill the Minsk agreements was signed in Minsk in February 2015.

As far as trade, including government purchases, is concerned, Belarus treats Ukrainian products on terms equal with those enjoyed by Belarusian products in line with the 2011 CIS Free Trade Zone Agreement.

In 2016 Belarus-Ukraine trade totaled $3,830 million (110.5% as against 2015), with Belarus’ export at $2,848 million (113.2%). In January-May 2017 Belarus-Ukraine trade reached $1,760 million (26.7% up from the same period of last year), with Belarus’ export at $1,311 million (22.8% up).

In 2017 Belarus’ main exports to Ukraine are oil products, fertilizers, tractors, liquefied gas, trucks, petroleum coke, bitumen, tires, and polished glass.

In 2016 the Belarusian economy attracted $226.5 million in Ukrainian investments. At present there are 13 Belarusian-Ukrainian assembly enterprises in the two countries, including seven in Ukraine where MTZ tractors, Gomselmash agricultural machines, Mogilevliftmash lifts, MAZ vehicles, and Belkommunmash products are assembled. In Belarus there are six companies with a share of Ukrainian capital that make railway cars, helicopters, bucket loaders, welding rods, milking equipment, and brake pads.