The volume of mutual trade with Russia's Lipetsk Oblast at $330 million is a good indicator, but half a billion would be better. This was stated by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with the Governor of Russia's Lipetsk Oblast, Igor Artamonov, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
The Head of State warmly welcomed the delegation from the Russian region, noting that Igor Artamonov knows Belarus well and that the parties have already laid the groundwork for further expansion of cooperation. According to the President, this is confirmed by active contacts with Lipetsk Oblast over the past two years and economic statistics.
Bilateral trade turnover last year amounted to $330 million. "The figure is not bad, but, as we say, half a billion is better. Therefore, our goal is to strive to achieve a trade turnover of $500 million. I think we will reach this benchmark in the near future," the Belarusian leader is convinced. "There are sufficient reserves. Moreover, we are already beginning, if I may say so, to reap the fruits, I won't shy away from this word, of fateful decisions within our union of Belarus and Russia." In this area, as Alexander Lukashenko recalled, many decisions were made at the level of heads of state.
"By making fateful decisions, we have supported our governments and ministers in developing cooperation, primarily industrial cooperation," said the Belarusian leader.
The President drew attention to how seriously Russia has advanced in agriculture. And this happened not without the participation of Belarus. And now, on the agenda of mutual cooperation are high-tech industries, primarily microelectronics.
"The Westerners have left (thank God they left). We will develop our own. You know that our former country, where we all lived – the Soviet Union – in principle, managed independently of the West. We just didn't have the brains to preserve the country. But we could then, and we can now," Alexander Lukashenko is convinced.
"The key directions of our economy are technological sovereignty and production cooperation. Today, we need to cooperate, which is what we are doing with the Russians," the President continued.
Other countries, formerly part of the Soviet Union, are now joining the cooperation. "We are developing and finding avenues for cooperation. We are not only developing specific programmes but also implementing specific contracts for the creation of certain production facilities. This means cooperation is developing, and we have vast positive experience. We have a good foundation for further economic development," the Head of State emphasised.
Regarding interaction with the Lipetsk region, there are significant developments in cooperation. "I am convinced that our presence at the Lipetsk Tractor Plant, where we intend to establish joint production of 'Amkodor' equipment, can become a powerful starting point. This brand is well-known in Russia and in high demand," the Belarusian leader stated.
"The withdrawal of Western companies is freeing up space for us to expand our cooperation and our (joint. - BELTA's note) work," the President remarked.
The meeting mentioned the implementation in the Lipetsk region of a programme for the development of urban electric transport, initiated several years ago. "Sooner or later, this issue will arise for any city in Belarus and Russia, as cities are becoming denser and more populated. Therefore, environmentally friendly vehicles will be needed in ever-increasing volumes. We are ready to supply you with a full range of passenger and agricultural machinery, as well as trailed and mounted equipment. This also applies to road construction machinery," the Head of State assured.
In agriculture, the President proposed developing cooperation in the processing of agricultural products. He also considers cooperation in modernising grain drying facilities to be promising. "We are working in the Russian construction market," Alexander Lukashenko continued. "We are ready to build any facility for you if needed, as you can see for yourself by visiting Minsk-Arena."
The discussion also covered preparations for the Days of the Republic of Belarus in Lipetsk, scheduled for autumn this year. "We will present our very best so that our brothers can see how Belarus is developing and witness the results of our joint work," the Head of State noted.
He stressed that all agreements reached during the visit would definitely be fulfilled by the Belarusian side: "You can be 100% sure that we will fulfill and implement them. We are people of our word, and moreover, this is not charity. This is our life, our economy. If it works, then the country will develop. Therefore, I am ready to discuss any issues you raise with me and make a decision."
The trade turnover between Belarus and the Lipetsk region of Russia has been steadily growing since 2020. In 2021, it amounted to $315 million, and in 2022, it reached almost $334 million. At the same time, Belarusian exports increased from $70 million in 2021 to over $91 million last year, or by 31%. Refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerating equipment, mixed mineral fertilizers, washing machines, meat products, and bars of unalloyed steel were mainly supplied from our country to the Russian region. The basis of imports consisted of metallurgical products (various types of rolled steel), rapeseed, and mineral resins.
From January to March of this year, the trade turnover amounted to $68 million, which is 2.5% higher than the figures for the same period last year. The intensification of contacts with the leadership of the Lipetsk region contributed to the growth of mutual trade. Since his appointment as governor in June 2022, Igor Artamonov has visited Belarus three times, and his current visit is the fourth.
Source: belta.by