MINSK, 25 October (BelTA) - Belarus is aiming at expanding industrial cooperation with Kazakhstan, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov said in an interview with the First News TV channel on 25 October, BelTA has learned.
The market of Kazakhstan is interesting and important for Belarus, the first deputy prime minister said. Many market niches have already been mastered by Belarusian enterprises, and the current task is to consolidate their presence in this market. “The basis of our cooperation is industrial cooperation. Kazakhstan rightly expects that we will localize the production of machinery from MTZ, Gomselmash, Bobruiskagromash, POZHSNAB, and MAZ. These are our standard drivers of economic growth in mechanical engineering,” Nikolai Snopkov said. “Kazakhstan's considerations are fair. Everyone wants localization of production and the creation of new jobs. Our counter-proposal is quite simple and fair. If we currently produce about 5,000 tractors on average, then we need to scale up with increased localization. If we produce about 300 grain and forage harvesters, it would be logical to produce 500 or more. By the way, this year we will surpass the 500-combine mark. Thus, the interests of Belarus and Kazakhstan will be met on a parity basis.”
Belarus is counting not only on the Kazakh market but also on the markets of Central Asian countries as a whole. “That would be ideal. The prospects are there. At the moment, we are working in the Kazakh market. If it serves as a platform, expanding supplies to the markets of other Central Asian countries is possible,” the first deputy prime minister said.
In his opinion, competition is high in any market. “The specifics of positioning and gaining a foothold in the market lie not only in assembly and localization. Quality, service, and price are the components that shape the local farmers’ and producers’ appetite for our machinery,” Nikolai Snopkov believes.
A Belarusian telescopic front-loader was presented at an exhibition in Kazakhstan. “I believe we will bring this promising topic to a conclusion in terms of organizing assembly production. Of course, for long-term market consolidation, we need to immediately agree on the level of localization and volumes,” he said.
The first deputy prime minister emphasized that the topic of the agro-industrial complex is at the forefront in terms of export volumes. ‘In the short term, we are looking at up to $500 million per year in exports of Belarusian products. Quality, affordable, and in-demand products. This underscores the validity of the President's demands to increase agricultural production volumes and export supplies,” he explained.
Kazakhstan is Belarus' second-largest partner among CIS countries in terms of export, import, and total foreign trade, Nikolai Snopkov said. Globally, it ranks third after Russia and China. “I believe that, considering all the prospects, doubling the trade is quite possible, given the traditionally positive trade balance between Belarus and Kazakhstan,” the first deputy prime minister is confident.
Nikolai Snopkov expressed readiness to create joint brands within the EAEU. “We are ready, and here it's not about money, but about ideas. Money can always be found. What we need are ideas and a bilateral desire to conduct joint business,” he stressed. “We need to interact more with partners who do not expect you to be their ‘vassal’, but who cooperate as equals. Today, it is very important to restore economic ties that are not restrictive, do not create barriers, and maximally unlock the potential for joint interaction between the countries of the former Soviet Union. We will strive to move in this direction with Kazakhstan.”
Follow us on:
