MINSK, 5 June (BelTA) – A service center of the Belarusian automobile engineering company MAZ will be opened at premises of Cherepovets Casting and Mechanical Plant in Vologda Oblast, Russia, BelTA learned from the MAZ website.
The relevant agreement was signed as a Vologda Oblast delegation visited the Belarusian company on 5 June. Opening a dealership to sell vehicles and a center to offer maintenance services will be the next step. A transportation and logistics company will be created in Vologda Oblast in the future, too.
Vologda Oblast Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov expressed interest in the continued acquisition of low-floor MAZ buses. “We've already bought 30 buses and intend to get another lot of over 120 buses soon,” he said. “I am convinced we have a lot of joint projects and contact points ahead of us. We are interested in advancing integration and manufacturing cooperation ties with Belarusian companies and are ready to open the market of Vologda Oblast and Russia's entire northwest to high-quality Belarusian vehicles. I am convinced that with assistance of the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry and the Belarusian Industry Ministry we will be able to implement these ambitious plans.”
During the tour of MAZ premises the Vologda Oblast delegation examined an exhibition of MAZ products and went for a test drive in some of them. Vologda Oblast First Vice Governor Anton Koltsov acted as a navigator in a sport vehicle.
Quite a large number of dealerships to sell vehicles made by the Belarusian brands MAZ, MTZ, Gomselmash, and Amkodor operate in Vologda Oblast. The Russian side is interested in setting up a major mechanical engineering cluster at premises of Cherepovets Casting and Mechanical Plant with assistance of Belarusian companies. A wing to assemble MTZ tractors already operates at premises of the Russian company.
In 2017 Belarus' trade with Vologda Oblast was close to $400 million, 77% up from 2016. The increase is attributed to tighter cooperation in mechanical engineering and agribusiness.
