Events
Belarus, Colombia to set up trade association to bolster economic contacts
An archive photo
MINSK, 29 June (BelTA) – Plans have been made to set up a Belarusian-Colombian trade association with a view to bolstering economic contacts. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Ecuador with concurrent accreditation to Colombia, Nicaragua, and Panama Nikolai Ovsyanko mentioned the plans at the launch of an international online course on 29 June, BelTA has learned.
The ambassador said: “There are plans to set up a Belarusian-Colombian trade association with a view to bolstering economic contacts.” He remarked that the economies of Belarus and Colombia are mutually complementary – Belarus makes things that Colombia does not and vice versa. “This is why we have very good prospects for advancing cooperation,” Nikolai Ovsyanko said.
Belarus-Colombia relations advance step by step. Work is in progress to attract the attention of Colombian companies. “On the whole, after interacting with Colombian colleagues and businessmen I feel that Colombia has a strong interest in Belarus. Our job is not to lose this interest but encourage it actively. Including for the sake of helping arrange a trip of Colombian businessmen to Belarus as soon as possible in order to organize a meeting with potentially interested Belarusian manufacturers,” the ambassador noted. “It is very important that there is a mutual interest.”
The diplomat continued: “We see good prospects for expanding cooperation in instrument making, oil industry and chemical industry, pharmaceutics, transport and logistics. For Belarus Colombia is a gateway to Latin America, in particular, to the Pacific Alliance.” He expressed gratitude for Bogota’s assistance with Belarus’ efforts to become an observer in the alliance. Nikolai Ovsyanko noted that it had been decided to set up an embassy of Belarus in Colombia’s capital city – Bogota.
“We see good prospects for our companies, which make automobiles, for oil industry companies and chemical industry ones,” the diplomat said. He added that Belarus can offer good conditions within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative. “Moreover, Belarus is a gateway to consumers of the large Eurasian Economic Union market,” he said.
Nikolai Ovsyanko said that both countries are interested in arranging consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs soon. Besides, once the situation allows it, Colombians will be invited to get familiar with Belarusian culture, in particular, with Belarusian movies.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
