Events

MINSK, 19 May (BelTA) – The United States is ready to send to Belarus a Commercial Service representative for negotiations on economic cooperation, the Belarusian Ministry of Agriculture and Food told BelTA when commenting on the United States visit by the Belarusian delegation headed by Minister of Agriculture and Food Leonid Zayats.

"In the near future, the United States will send a high-ranking representative of the U.S. Commercial Service to Belarus to hold talks on economic cooperation,” said experts.

On 18 May in Washington the Belarusian delegation met with representative of the U.S. Department of Commerce Matthew Murray to discuss the prospects of trade and economic interaction between the two countries, including in the area of manufacture and purchase of agricultural machinery and equipment. Matthew Murray expressed the U.S. Government support for Belarus’ efforts to join the WTO and did not rule out a visit to Belarus during one of his forthcoming visits to the Eastern European region.

In a meeting with Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Alexis Taylor, the Belarusian delegation outlined the promising areas of cooperation in agriculture with the United States. Among them is further expansion of the Belarusian agricultural exports to the U.S. market, setting up facilities to produce and process farm products in Belarus with the participation of U.S. investors to export them to third markets, expansion of cooperation in livestock breeding. “Alexis Taylor confirmed her intention to study Belarus’ proposals and accepted the invitation to visit Belarus,” the Agriculture and Food Ministry said.

The Belarusian delegation also presented its vision on the access for Belarusian agricultural, food and distilled beverages to the U.S. market. The presentation was held at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig.

The Belarusian delegation met with representatives of Auberron Holdings, the importer of Belarusian food products to the United States, to discuss a strategy of expanding Belarus’ presence in the U.S. federal retail chains through the development of new brands for the American market.

Belarus’ representatives and Rastelli Foods Group owner Anthony Rastelli agreed on cooperation with Belarusian meat processing companies to produce high quality beef for third markets.

The visit of the Belarusian delegation will complete on 23 May. While in the United States, the Belarusian delegation will visit the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The Belarusian representatives are set to hold meetings with the governors of North Dakota and Nebraska, producers of agricultural equipment and visit the leading universities of the abovementioned states.