ZHODINO, 27 May (BelTA) – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman will analyze prospects of cooperation with the Belarusian automobile engineering company BelAZ for the sake of supplying haul trucks to the Asian country. The relevant matters were discussed when Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman Saeed Al Kiyumi met with representatives of the Belarusian holding company on 27 May, BelTA has learned.
During the tour of OAO BelAZ the Omani delegation was made familiar with the history of the Belarusian enterprise, visited the assembly shops and presentation grounds. Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman saw the most powerful Belarus-made haul truck — BelAZ 75710 with the carrying capacity of 450 tonnes. The guests were interested in technical parameters of various dump trucks, warranty terms of the manufacturer, logistics schemes and other matters.
According to Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman Saeed Al Kiyumi, the current visit to premises of the Belarusian company is a fact-finding one. “BelAZ's capabilities are impressive. It is the first time I have visited an enterprise of this magnitude. We are glad that such a manufacturing enterprise is located in a friendly country,” said Saeed Al Kiyumi. “We believe it is a fact-finding visit but hope that Belarus-Oman economic relations will develop rapidly. Cooperation between the two countries, the business circles of the two countries, the chambers of commerce and industries and cooperation via diplomatic channels will contribute to it.” The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman underlined that information gathered during the visit to Zhodino will be carefully examined.
Saeed Al Kiyumi said it was his first visit to Belarus. He noted he was impressed by the country and its capabilities.
Dmitry Zablotsky, BelAZ Deputy Director General for Quality and Manufacturing Standardization, said he was confident that the Belarusian side and the Omani one would be able to find mutually beneficial areas of cooperation through talks. “The oil and gas industry is well-developed in Oman. If areas of interest are found, we will be able to offer any kind of cooperation and supply any type of mining machines to our partners,” stressed the executive.
Dmitry Zablotsky made it clear that enterprises of the holding company BelAZ are on the lookout for new development avenues for the sake of keeping busy the manufacturing capacity built over the course of the last five years. Markets of distant-arc countries look promising from this angle. “We are working hard on it. Our specialists as well as dealers regularly travel abroad, including to Middle East and Persian Gulf countries. They are aware of the processes going on over there,” said the executive. “The situation in the world changes rapidly. While we may not see opportunities for great projects in some areas, we still keep an eye on them in order to monitor the markets and respond in time when necessary,” said Dmitry Zablotsky.
In the Asian region BelAZ's traditional markets include China, India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. According to Dmitry Zablotsky, fruitful cooperation has been established with Iran. Among promising markets he mentioned Georgia, Vietnam, and African countries.
The Zhodino-based automobile engineering company BelAZ was established in September 1948. The enterprise was reincorporated as a public joint-stock company in 2010. In September 2012 OAO BelAZ became the managing company of the holding company BelAZ. BelAZ is the world's top manufacturer of heavy and super heavy haul trucks and other kinds of heavy transport equipment used by the mining industry and the civil engineering industry.
On 27 May the delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman is expected to meet with Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov and Trade Minister Vladimir Koltovich.
