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Economic effect of Lukashenko’s state visit to Zimbabwe estimated at $200m

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MINSK, 3 February (BelTA) – The total economic effect from the state visit of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Zimbabwe is estimated at roughly $200 million, BelTA learned from Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik.

Sergei Aleinik said that contracts on shipping about 4,000 Belarusian tractors, agricultural machines, and other vehicles and machines to Zimbabwe were signed as a result of the visit. “We estimate the total economic effect of the visit at approximately $200 million,” the official said.

A package of important bilateral documents was signed during the visit. The package includes basic economic agreements (on encouraging and protecting investments and on avoiding double taxation). “They are supposed to enable the advancement of manufacturing cooperation and economic cooperation with Zimbabwe,” Sergei Aleinik explained. A permanent bilateral Belarus-Zimbabwe commission has been established to further expand cooperation. A coordinating body will start working too: a working group established by the ministries of agriculture of Belarus and Zimbabwe.

Apart from that, the Belarusian head of state mentioned the proposal of his Zimbabwean counterpart on getting the neighboring country of Mozambique to participate in Belarus-Zimbabwe cooperation. “Certainly, we are interested and intend to discuss prospects of our joint work more thoroughly in the near future, including trilateral work,” Sergei Aleinik said.

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