Belarus' National Expo in Dushanbe

Belarus' National Expo has officially opened in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe. Taking part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and his Tajikistani counterpart Emomali Rahmon.

The expo in Tajikistan is one of Belarus' biggest expos abroad in recent years.

Initially the expo was to stay open through 17 May, however, as Emomali Rahmon started touring the exposition, he noted that three days are not enough to allow everyone to properly study cooperation opportunities and the product assortment showcased by Belarus. The Belarusian head of state agreed with his Tajikistani counterpart. As a result, an instruction was given to run the expo for a week instead of three days.

The two presidents were made closely familiar with the expo. They stood for extended periods of time at some stands and discussed concrete avenues and possible projects for advancing cooperation in various areas. Emomali Rahmon was strongly interested in products made by Belarusian industrial companies. Alexander Lukashenko and Emomali Rahmon discussed prospects of further promotion of BelAZ products onto the Tajik market. The creation of joint ventures was mentioned more than once during the tour of the expo. For instance, the Tajikistan president suggested starting assembling Belarusian lifts in Tajikistan. Production of food and medication was also mentioned. Modern municipal vehicles sparked interest, too.

The total area of the expo is 2,233m2, including 953m2 of indoor area and 1,280m2 in the open air. Taking part in the event are representatives of 147 organizations, including central government agencies and other organizations affiliated with the government.

The exposition features companies representing food industry, mechanical engineering, production of specialized equipment and household appliances as well as organizations working in the field of education, science and technology, innovative activities, healthcare and pharmaceutics, sport and tourism, chemistry and oil chemistry, woodworking and pulp and paper industry, communication and information technology, production of building materials, book publishing and printing industry.

The outdoor area features dozens of machines and vehicles made by MTZ, MAZ, Amkodor, Gomselmash, Bobruiskagromash, and Lidagroprommash.