President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko expects the continuation of cooperation with the Chinese corporation Citic Construction, particularly in the construction sector. The Head of State stated this during a meeting with the First Vice President of the corporation, Yan Jianguang, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
The Belarusian leader noted that he plans to discuss a number of issues with the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in the future, and prior to that, he would like to clarify certain aspects of Citic Construction's operations in Belarus.
"There are a number of issues that we need to discuss with you, because you are the largest company operating in Belarus. All of this is related to the fact that I need to thoroughly prepare for a conversation very soon, as agreed, with Chairman Xi Jinping," explained Alexander Lukashenko. "We had a thorough and substantive meeting in Samarkand (during the SCO summit. - BELTA's note) with the Chairman (of the PRC Xi Jinping. - BELTA's note), discussed all economic issues of our interaction, including those within your area of competence and responsibility, and agreed that after the 20th CPC Congress, we will have a more in-depth working discussion on economics, politics, and military-technical cooperation."
"I very much hope that your current visit will not only clarify the situation regarding some projects and allow us to agree on their completion deadlines, but also provide an opportunity to look into the future of our relations, especially in the construction industry," added the Head of State. According to him, Citic Construction expresses its readiness to work in Belarus and build a number of enterprises using the most modern technologies. "We welcome this," emphasized the President.
During the meeting, the parties discussed some joint projects for the future. In particular, the construction of a nitrogen complex, a paper production workshop at the Svetlogorsk Pulp and Paper Mill, and the organization of deep processing of agricultural products were discussed. Regarding the latter, the Chinese partners have shown serious interest in establishing such production for the purpose of further exporting products to the Chinese market. The Head of State supported this initiative and instructed responsible officials to provide assistance in its implementation.
The project for the construction of an ammonia complex in Belarus envisages the creation of modern production facilities for ammonia with a capacity of 920 thousand tons per year and urea with a capacity of 1.29 million tons per year. To make a decision on its construction, a visit of domestic specialists to the People's Republic of China has been organised. They are currently visiting operational ammonia and urea production facilities to subsequently provide a definitive answer on the feasibility of constructing and operating similar facilities in Belarus, considering the acceptability of production capacities, compliance with environmental requirements, economic efficiency, etc.
At Svetlogorsk Pulp and Paper Mill, the project for the construction of paper production is ongoing. Work within the first stage has been fully completed (engineering preparation of the construction site is finished). The second stage involves the supply of equipment, construction and installation, and commissioning works. Currently, Svetlogorsk Pulp and Paper Mill and the Chinese company continue to work on draft contracts for the supply of technological equipment and a construction contract.
International engineering company Citic Construction Co., Ltd was established in November 2002 and is a subsidiary of China's largest state-owned financial corporation, Citic Group. Its main activities include the turnkey construction of real estate, including industrial, infrastructure, and sports facilities, as well as export-import supplies of mechanical and electronic equipment. The company implements projects in the CIS countries, Southeast Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2007, it was one of the first Chinese engineering companies to commence operations in Belarus.
With the participation of Citic Construction as the general contractor, turnkey construction projects have been implemented for cement plants at OJSC "Belarusian Cement Plant", OJSC "Krichevcementnoshifer", OJSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy", for the organisation of passenger car assembly production ("BELGEE") for 2012-2030, and for the modernisation of Orsha Linen Mill.
In 2016-2018, the company became a shareholder of ZAO "BELGEE" and ZAO "BNBC" (Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation), thus becoming not only a general contractor but also a co-investor and shareholder in these projects, participating in their management.
Currently, the company is implementing three investment projects in Belarus: the construction of a potash beneficiation plant for CJSC "Slavkaliy", the construction of a multifunctional hotel and business complex in Minsk in the area of Pobediteley Avenue, and the construction of a high-tech full-cycle agro-industrial production facility for BNBC.
Source: belta.by