Business news

BISHKEK, 3 November (BelTA) – Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are resuming the assembling of tractors in Bishkek. The official opening ceremony of a plant to assemble Belarus tractors at Avtomash-Radiator was held in Bishkek on 3 November with the participation of Belarus’ Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and Kyrgyzstan’s Acting Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov, BelTA has learned.

Tractors will be assembled at the production floor space with the total area of 2,000 square meters, including an 800-square-meter assembly line and 1,200 square meters of warehouses. The designed capacity of the plant is up to 5,000 tractors per year. The first stage (2017-2018) envisages the production of up to 1,000 vehicles. Tractors will be delivered to the domestic market of Kyrgyzstan and exported abroad. The company plans its first overseas deliveries to China and Turkmenistan.

Andrei Kobyakov said at the official opening ceremony that Minsk Tractor Works has a rich history and makes part of the world’s top ten tractor producers. The company is ready to offer its Kyrgyz counterparts a wide range of modern tractors. “We hope you will master this type of vehicles and make it of high quality. As long as your company is also a dealer center, we also hope you will secure the after-sales and post-warranty service of products,” he said. Belarus’ government is ready to support the assembly plant. “We are interested in having our center in Kyrgyzstan, which will produce tractors and provide services to other Belarusian producers such as MAZ, Gomselmash and Amkodor,” the Prime Minister noted.

Belarus also hopes that the government of Kyrgyzstan will support the project, Andrei Kobyakov added.

In his words, the Belarusian government has signed an agreement with Aiyl Bank, which envisages support to clients of the assembly plant.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov stressed, for his part, that the new plant is of great importance for both the industry and agriculture of Kyrgyzstan. “We believe in the success of this project as it involves two famous plants: MTZ and Avtomash-Radiator,” he said.

Products of the new assembly plant will be, first of all, in demand in the agrarian sector of Kyrgyzstan. “Our farmers know Belarus tractors very well, use them and consider them reliable,” he added.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov expressed confidence that traditionally friendly relations between Belarus and Kyrgyzstan would continue developing.

According to MTZ Director General Fyodor Domotenko, the free warehouse customs regime will be used to deliver vehicle sets to the assembly plant in Kyrgyzstan.

The project was implemented in line with the memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration of Kyrgyzstan, Minsk Tractor Works and Avtomash-Radiator.

Avtomash-Radiator, a subsidiary of Kyrgyzavromash, is the biggest company of the machine-building complex of Kyrgyzstan. In 2000 Kyrgyzavromash made part of Russia’s Kompozit Group. Avtomash-Radiator produces more than 200 descriptions of copper and brass automobile and tractor radiators under the Kompozit Group trademark. Up to 98% of the products are exported to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Poland and Hungary.

Avtomash-Radiator has a dealer center that sells Belarusian equipment and provides pre-delivery inspection, after-sales and post-warranty services.