VERONA, 24 October (BelTA) – Belarus hopes that the high level of trade will be restored with Italy, Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevgeny Shestakov, a co-chair of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Italian commission on economic cooperation, said at the 5th Eurasian Forum in Verona on 21 October, BelTA has learned.
In 2014 the Belarusian-Italian trade exceeded $2 billion. “In 2015 we had less than $800 million in mutual trade in 2015. In my opinion, there is no any subjective factor from the Belarusian or Italian business. The issue is about external factors,” stressed the deputy minister.
According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Belarus there are more than 200 legal bodies set up with the participation of Italian economic entities. “I hope we have already stopped the decline and are ready to start restoring the trade level we had. We have the necessary potential for it,” Yevgeny Shestakov added.
Belarus and Italy have been supporting contacts at various levels. In 2009 Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko visited Italy. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Italy Silvio Berlusconi paid a return visit to Belarus the same year. In May 2016 the Belarusian head of state paid a visit to Rome and held talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. “We maintain a regular ministerial dialogue. Belarus and Italy has a good basis for developing relations and the absence of any obstacles for the trade and economic cooperation,” stressed Yevgeny Shestakov.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that Belarus as any other country may benefit from both the participation in integration associations and the development of bilateral contacts with various foreign partners. “Within the Eurasian Economic Union there is certain competition among its member states in attracting foreign investment and foreign partners. At the same time every member state has its differences: geographical, economic, logistical which help it use its advantages for economic development,” Yevgeny Shestakov added.
