MOSCOW, 23 April (BelTA) – At a time of the sweeping Western sanctions Belarus still managed to ensure economic growth and increase exports, Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi said at the 3rd Belarusian-Latin American Forum in Moscow on 23 April, BelTA has learned.
"In an attempt to save its dominance, the West is actively using unilateral coercive measures. The amount of sanctions has become unprecedented, including against Belarus. However, in these difficult conditions, our country, together with our friends, was able not only to survive, but also to ramp up industrial output and even expand exports," Ambassador Dmitry Krutoi noted.
Belarus' GDP grew by 3.9% in 2023 and by 4.1% in the first quarter of this year. Belarus' foreign trade rose by almost 7% and exceeded $95 billion.
"Belarus and Russia have entered a new stage of cooperation. In 2023, the Belarusian-Russian trade exceeded $53 billion, up by 6% year-on-year. This is a historical record. “Just think of it: Belarus has a population of just over 9 million and its trade with Russia stands at $53 billion, while China has a population of 1.3 billion and its trade with Russia is estimated at $240 billion,” Ambassador Krutoi said.
"By this example I would like to convey a simple idea: export is one of the pillars of the Belarusian economy. Since 2005 it has been an absolute priority of our development policy. Now foreign trade exceeds our GDP by 32%. According to the World Bank ranking, Belarus is among the top five countries with the most open economy in the world. This leads to an equally simple conclusion - our goods are of exceptional quality and are supplied to 179 countries. At the state level, we monitor compliance with all technologies and regulations. We value our brands very much and are actively developing new national flagships (electric transport, biotechnology, microelectronics, etc.)," the ambassador stressed.
The 3rd Belarusian-Latin American Forum was organized by the National Center for Marketing jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and was hosted by the Business and Cultural Center of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. The Belarusian delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Evgeny Shestakov. The event brought together the heads of the embassies and trade and economic missions of Latin American countries accredited in Russia and concurrently in Belarus.
At the forum, Belarus presented its light industry, pharmaceutical and food industries and also the most promising projects in biotechnology, production of biopreparations for agriculture and biofertilizers. The program also included presentations on logistics and settlements with counterparties in the countries of the region.
