Opinions & Interviews

NOVOSIBIRSK, 22 October (BelTA) – Siberia would like to maintain constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with Belarus, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Siberian Federal District of Russia Nikolai Rogozhkin said at the Belarus-Siberia business cooperation forum that took place in Novosibirsk on 22 October, BelTA has learned.

“Siberia is truly interested in maintaining constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with Belarus; we are ready to cooperate across many areas,” Nikolai Rogozhkin said.

In his words, there are a lot of reserves to deepen mutually beneficial trade and economic contacts and humanitarian cooperation. “We need to promote promising cooperation avenues, like science and technology, to set up joint ventures, including innovative companies,” he said. Nikolai Rogozhkin also suggested considering joint educational programs, sharing best practices in supporting innovative SMEs, joint efforts to promote tourism on the domestic markets of Siberia and the Republic of Belarus.

Nikolai Rogozhkin underlined that Belarus has become one of the leading partners for many regions of the Siberian Federal District. Belarus’ biggest trading partners in the federal district are Kemerovo Oblast, Novosibirsk Oblast and Omsk Oblast, as well as Altai Krai. However, there is still huge untapped potential for expanding cooperation, Nikolai Rogozhkin is convinced. He noted that the trade between the regions of Siberia and Belarus is dominated by high-tech products, not raw materials. The bilateral trade gives a serious boost to many other related industries.

The Belarus-Siberia business cooperation forum is taking place in Novosibirsk during the Days of Belarus in Siberia.