SAINT PETERSBURG, 28 March (BelTA) – Belarus suggests stepping up industrial manufacturing cooperation ties to Saint Petersburg. Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov made the relevant statement during the tenth meeting of the Belarus-Saint Petersburg Business Cooperation Council in the Russian city on 28 March, BelTA has learned.
Andrei Kobyakov reminded that manufacturing cooperation achievements, in particular, engines made by Saint Petersburg-based Zvezda for the Belarusian haul truck maker BelAZ, were demonstrated during the Fourth Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. “Cooperation of the two companies grows stronger as new joint projects are implemented. We welcome it,” he said.
The prime minister also noted that the joint assembling of lifts grows larger, too. “We expect that cooperation between Mogilevliftmash and MLM Nevsky Lift — the largest company in charge of lift maintenance in Saint Petersburg — will give a new impulse to the joint replacement of lift equipment in Saint Petersburg and other Russian regions,” said Andrei Kobyakov.
In 2017 Belarus-Saint Petersburg trade totaled $1,672.3 million, 19.7% up from 2016. Belarus' export reached $967.4 million, 18.6% up from 2016, with import at $704.9 million, 21.2% up. Belarus secured a trade surplus of $262.5 million. In 2017 Belarus' main exports to Saint Petersburg were fresh and cooled beef, cheese, quark cheese, butter, poultry meat and edible by-products, condensed milk and cream, standard milk and cream, milk powder, trucks, and sugar. The main imports included cars, engines, electric power generators, liquid pumps, pipeline fittings, metal structures made of ferrous metals.
In January 2018 Belarus-Saint Petersburg trade totaled $125.9 million, 24.7% up from the same period of last year. Belarus' export went up by 21.3% to $79.1 million, with import up by 30.9% to $46.8 million and surplus at $32.3 million.
