Events

MINSK, 25 January (BelTA) – Belarus has sent a batch of MAZ trucks to Syria as part of the humanitarian relief effort, Ambassador of Belarus to Syria Alexander Ponomarev said in the interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.

The trucks will be donated to three Syrian cities: Latakia, Homs and Damascus. By the way, for the first time the cargo was delivered by sea, which helped save more than $50,000.

The delivery took place in the autumn of last year. Back then Belarus sent the first part of the humanitarian cargo: 25 tonnes of basic necessities such as clothes, footwear and foodstuffs. Employees of the Belarusian diplomatic mission and the officers of the Emergencies Ministry delivered the aid to the Christian communities, orphanages and refugee camps in November.

Now it is MAZ trucks that will be given to Syrian farmers and builders.

Belarus launched large-scale humanitarian actions to help Syria in 2015. Ambassador Alexander Ponomarev believes that MAZ vehicles delivered as humanitarian aid will provide additional exposure to Belarusian trucks on the Syrian market. Belarus and Syria have an agreement to set up a joint truck assembly facility. The diplomat said he hopes that the Syrian government will step up efforts in creating the preferential tax treatment for the assembly plants.

According to Ambassador Alexander Ponomarev, Belarusian exports amounted to $31.5 million in 2017. The most promising are the deliveries of equipment (namely MAZ, MTZ, BelAZ, Amkodor), according to the diplomat. “At the exhibition in September last year we achieved very specific agreements with the partners regarding the supplies of Belarusian equipment to Syria. Of course, we need to aim for the industrial cooperation, assembly plants in Syria,” he noted.

Belarus reaffirms its commitment to help Syria. For example, Belarus will continue to host Syrian children for health recuperation holidays, the diplomat said.