MINSK, 15 February (BelTA) – Belarus is doing its best to create most favorable conditions for the Turkish business, Belarus' Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov said at the Belarusian-Turkish Business Forum in Minsk on 15 February, BelTA has learned.
“We welcome the growing trust of Turkish businessmen in our country and are doing our best to create the most favorable working conditions for them,” Andrei Kobyakov said. Many Turkish companies have already come to appreciate Belarus' favorable geographic location, its well-developed logistics infrastructure, direct access to the EAEU market, its favorable investment and taxation climate and highly-qualified workforce.
“We are ready to support the projects to set up Turkish industrial enterprises in Belarus, including in such sectors as mechanical engineering and auto components, chemical and textile industries, agriculture and logistics,” the Belarusian head of government noted.
In turn, the Belarusian industrial enterprises (for example, Gomselmash, Amkodor) have already made inroads in the Turkish market. The long term plans are to set up assembly plants in Turkey and promote joint sales in other countries in the region. According to Andrei Kobyakov, possible systemic and targeted measures by the governments of the two countries in support of such projects were discussed in great detail during the talks with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on 14 February.
According to Andrei Kobyakov, Belarus and Turkey have been steadily developing bilateral relations in the recent years. Today this is not only industry, trade, transport, finance, tourism, or education. There is also an interest in joint projects in the area of sci-tech cooperation and the development of information technology.
In November 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey paid an official visit to Belarus. This visit was followed by serious efforts to implement the reached agreements and significant economic projects. “In 2017 our countries almost reached $1 billion in mutual trade. We consider it only as an intermediate result on the way to much more impressive figures. Among the ways to achieve them is primarily a transfer to advanced forms of cooperation between our businesses, to mutual investment and industrial cooperation,” the Belarusian head of government said.
A number of agreements were signed in Minsk on 14 February. They will help create attractive conditions for joint business and mutually beneficial projects. First of all, this is an agreement on mutual assistance in the implementation and protection of investments. This means that business investment is reliably protected, and non-discriminatory conditions are created in mutual trade.
Andrei Kobyakov expressed hope that the current forum would become a successful negotiating venue for the businessmen of Belarus and Turkey. Such meetings should be held every year, both in the capitals and regions, the premier said.
The Belarusian-Turkish Business Forum has gathered about 300 participants in Minsk. During the forum, representatives of the business communities of the two countries are set to discuss the prospects for economic cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest such as machine-building, chemical industry, textile industry, woodworking, logistics, information technology.
