MINSK, 31 May (BelTA) – Belarus and African countries have maintained friendly relations for a long time, Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said as he met with ambassadors of African countries on the sidelines of the second Belarusian-African Economic Forum, BelTA has learned.
“We are not a terra incognita for each other. Belarusian machinery is well-known in African markets, our engineers took part in infrastructure projects there, and many citizens of African countries studied in Minsk,” Vladimir Makei noted.
In the past three years, the mutual trade between Belarus and African countries totaled $1.8 billion. “We have come a long way from the annual trade of some $160 million in the early 2000s to more than $550 million in 2020. However, there is still room for growth. We should step up work on this front,” Vladimir Makei stressed.
Belarus has developed special effective mechanisms for financial support of exports and they are an important incentive tool. The Development Bank of Belarus has established cooperation with the African Export-Import Bank and other financial institutions in the region.
Belarusian rock haulers, trucks and farm machines have gained a foothold in the markets of many African countries," said Vladimir Makei. “We supply potash fertilizers and tires to South Africa. We have certified MAZ trucks in that country, deliver metal products to Egypt and Algeria. We are working on large projects and contracts to supply Belarusian equipment and vehicles to Angola. Plants assembling Belarusian tractors and trucks in Egypt are an example of successful cooperation in industry. Similar projects are in the pipeline in Sudan, Algeria and other African countries."
The Belarusian minister stressed that all these are successful, mutually beneficial projects.
Photos by Pavel Orlovsky
