Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 3 September (BelTA) - Belarus and Kazakhstan have been developing fruitful cooperation in many areas, but the ties are the strongest in the IT-sector and space exploration, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Belarus Yergali Bulegenov said during the opening of the Belarus-Kazakhstan Business Forum, BelTA has learned.

"Kazakhstan and Belarus have developed a good relationship. Our trade mission has visited your country for the fourth consecutive year,” said Yergali Bulegenov.

He stressed that despite the difficulties in the economy, cooperation needs to be developed. "Crises pass, and this period should be used to create joint ventures not only to satisfy the markets of our two countries and the Eurasian Economic Union but also other countries outside our union,” said the Ambassador.

According to him, today manufacturers from Kazakhstan and Belarus have common interests and there are suitable conditions for joint ventures.

"Three years ago (May 2012 – note by BelTA) during the visit of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Belarus, our heads of state gave us the instructions to use more advanced methods and tools in trade and economic cooperation. Our trade mission is working on the implementation of one of these tasks,” said Yergali Bulegenov.

"I think that despite the difficulties, we will achieve the results. I hope that a lot of agreements will be concluded today and tomorrow. There is interest on the part of businessmen of Belarus and Kazakhstan, and ministries and departments of your country," he said.

A delegation from Kazakhstan is in Belarus on a visit on 2-4 September for a business matchmaking session and also the Belarus-Kazakhstan business forum. The event has been organized by the National Export and Investment Agency KAZNEX INVEST and the Minsk Office of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Belarusian enterprises and 15 Kazakh companies will negotiate in the following areas: engineering, pharmaceuticals, food and chemical industry, building.

In terms of Belarusian export Kazakhstan is the third most important partner of Belarus in the CIS after Russia and Ukraine. In 2014 the foreign trade between Belarus and Kazakhstan amounted to $1.2 billion, up 23% from 2013. In January-June 2015 the trade reached $300 million, a 33% decrease from the same period of 2014. Belarus’ major exports are tractors and truck tractors, fresh fruit, milk and dairy products, furniture, sugar, tires. Belarus’ new export items this year are metal-rolling machines, tobacco goods, acrylic polymers, animal fat and vegetable oil, edible oils, shell fish. Belarus imports from Kazakhstan unprocessed aluminum, mineral fertilizers, liquefied gas, non-alloy rolled steel, petroleum products.