Business news

MINSK, 27 November (BelTA) - The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will participate in more than 200 international events in 2018, Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI) Vladimir Ulakhovich told a press conference at BelTA’s press service.

“The 2018 schedule will be adopted in December. The portfolio of proposals is very large, about 200 activities offered by our partners, embassies. Part of the events will be delegated to the regions. Regional cooperation is very important. More than 30 large visits were organized in 2017. As part of all the business activities our companies signed about 80 agreements and contracts. A substantial portion was concluded in new markets. These include some of the countries of the African continent, South-East Asia and Latin America, including Burkina Faso, Mozambique. Meetings should be prepared very meticulously. We will continue to do so, primarily with regard to the so-called distant arc countries,” Vladimir Ulakhovich noted.

Vladimir Ulakhovich named Brazil among the promising markets. A Belarusian business delegation will take part in the joint business forum due in Sao Paulo on 29 November. “This is a remote but very large market. There is something we can offer to our partners,” he added.

“We plan to apply new forms of export support and strengthen the existing mechanisms, in particular, the institute of our representatives in other countries. We have 36 representatives in 31 countries. The Belarusian chamber of commerce will send its representative to Spain in December,” Vladimir Ulakhovich noted. Currently we have 17 councils of business cooperation for open dialogue of business with government bodies. This already brings results, he added.

There are also plans to develop other forms of cooperation. “The event scheduled for 14 December will mark the 65th anniversary of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A new format of cooperation will be proposed. It will include meetings of Belarusian enterprises with trade and economic advisers of the embassies accredited in Belarus, and not only in Minsk, but also in the embassies accredited in Moscow. Today, the list comprises trade advisors from 55 countries who would like to meet with representatives of Belarusian enterprises. This format helps us discuss directly any issues related to bilateral cooperation,” he said.

According to Vladimir Ulakhovich, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has 293 agreements with partners around the world. This year, ten agreements have been signed. "I would like to announce that on 7 December we will sign an agreement with the Eurasia association and Intesa bank, which are the founders and organizers of the annual forum in Verona Discovering Eurasia. The event is attended by ministers, businessmen, and it is a very good platform to boost cooperation with Italian partners,” he said.

The chairman also said that last week the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry received the award of the Turkish economic magazine Turcomoney for its contribution to the development of economic cooperation with Turkey, promotion and establishment of cooperation between businessmen of the two countries, and the promotion of bilateral trade and investment cooperation.