Achieving a billion dollars in trade turnover between Belarus and the Bryansk region is far from the ultimate indicator. This was stated by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, at a meeting with the Governor of the Bryansk region of Russia, Alexander Bogomaz, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The Head of State welcomed the head of the Russian region in Minsk, noting that they had already had a brief exchange during the "Kupalye" festival in Alexandria in July last year. In addition, Alexander Bogomaz visits the Gomel region quite often. According to the President, he instructed the governor of this region, Ivan Krupko, to cooperate more closely with the Bryansk region. "I am informed that you have established good contacts. I welcome this and will support it in every way," said the Belarusian leader.On long-standing human ties and good neighbourlinessAlexander Lukashenko emphasized that the Bryansk region is one of Russia's closest regions to Belarus. And when there were difficult times in the 1990s and there was a shortage of agricultural machinery, Belarus and the Bryansk region came to each other's aid. "Since Soviet times, we have had the warmest and most friendly, good, fraternal relations between our peoples. Thank God we have not drawn a border that people have to cross and create inconvenience for our citizens, as happened with Poland, the Baltic states, and even worse, with Ukraine," the Head of State remarked.
"A billion is far from the limit." Lukashenko on cooperation prospects with the Bryansk region
The long-standing historical and human ties between Belarus and the Bryansk region are very strong and multifaceted, the President stated. "All of this fully applies to our other closest neighbor - the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. A spirit of good neighborliness, friendship, and cooperation has always prevailed on the border of the three republics," said Alexander Lukashenko. "Now it is the opposite, to our deep regret. In this situation, Belarusians are absolutely in solidarity with you, empathize, and are ready to help in any way we can." On trade worth a billion and industrial projects The President emphasized that the economy is at the core of solving current and potential future problems: "As they used to say in Soviet times: if there is an economy, production - then party, Komsomol, and trade union work will follow. This is how it is now." Alexander Lukashenko recalled that in 2020, the task was set to increase the trade turnover between Belarus and the Bryansk region to one billion US dollars. "Last year, we slightly reduced (the growth rate of trade turnover. - Ed. BELTA), to about $800 million, a little more (trade turnover for 2023 amounted to. - Ed. BELTA). This year, we are determined to restore this figure," the head of state declared. "I think no one needs to be convinced that a billion is far from the maximum figure. And the main reserve is the implementation of large-scale industrial cooperation projects," Alexander Lukashenko continued. As an example of such interaction, he cited the cooperation of Belarusian machine-building flagships - "Amkodor" and "Gomselmash" with the Bryansk region, which have organized their production in this Russian region.
"We are ready to further develop this experience, including the creation of other enterprises in the Bryansk region for the production of equipment, materials, and machinery – whatever you like and we can manage," the President noted. On joint prospects in the agricultural sector Cooperation in the agricultural sphere was also discussed, and here, according to the head of state, the parties have something to learn from each other. Especially since the lands and climatic conditions are similar. "We know that the Bryansk region leads (in Russia. - BELTA's note) in the production of certain types of agricultural products and sets records for potato and grain yields (rye, triticale, in particular). Livestock farming has reached a good level in your region. For us, this is also one of the priorities and a broad field for joint activities," said Alexander Lukashenko. The President noted that the plans of the Russian delegation, headed by Alexander Bogomaz, include a visit to the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation – a unique production complex where high-quality animal feed is produced, and in the future, the production of veterinary drugs and equipment for livestock farming will begin. "We are ready to expand the supply of food and other goods, without hindering your producers or competing with you in any way. We need to combine our capabilities in the vast Belarusian-Russian market," the head of state proposed.
According to him, scientific cooperation in the agro-industrial sector also holds great promise. "Seed production, plant variety testing, and breeding work are what our scientists are already doing in cooperation with the Bryansk region. We would like these joint projects to increase, but with a strong focus on practical application," said Alexander Lukashenko. On cooperation in construction Cooperation in the construction industry also appears promising, especially since such experience already exists. "You are well aware of how Belarusian builders work. Last year, an investment project was implemented to build a 16-story residential building in Bryansk. If you are satisfied with our builders, we will continue to cooperate with you in this regard. I know from negotiations with the President of Russia that huge tasks lie ahead in construction. From roads to the construction of cultural and industrial facilities, including, first and foremost, housing," said the President. He noted that Belarus is ready to participate in the implementation of construction projects, especially since it is beneficial and there is already experience of such cooperation with other Russian regions.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus is ready to offer services in the overhaul of housing and buildings, road construction, design, and engineering surveys. In addition, there are qualified specialists, high-quality machinery, and equipment for water supply, water treatment, heating, and waste processing.
On the revival of Chernobyl-affected territories Among the promising areas of interaction, Alexander Lukashenko mentioned overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl NPP accident, which affected the Bryansk region just as it did Belarus. "We are engaged in the revival of these territories (you know our programs), creating normal living conditions for people. We have unique methods and developments. If you are interested, we are ready to cooperate," said the President. "We are ready to listen to all your proposals and make appropriate decisions if necessary," the head of state concluded.
Source: belta.by