ST PETERSBURG, 29 March (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia should step up manufacturing cooperation ties in conditions of sanctions-fueled pressure. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko made the statement at a session of the Belarus-St Petersburg Business Cooperation Council, BelTA has learned.
Roman Golovchenko said: “In conditions of unprecedented sanctions-fueled Western pressure on our countries it has never been more important to reinforce trade and economic interaction, enhance manufacturing cooperation ties, and realize joint economic projects, including in the sphere of innovations. I am convinced that together we will be able to endure external pressure and the constantly growing economic blockade and will become only stronger thanks to the development of our own technologies and assimilation of our own scientific solutions.”
He stressed that St Petersburg is a strategic trade partner and confidently occupies the fifth place among Russian regions in terms of trade with Belarus. “Our trade turnover demonstrated quite a good figure last year but we are convinced that it is far from the final figure. We have to move forward. Statistics has also been positive since the beginning of the year. The sanctions-fueled pressure will have its own effect, nevertheless, we have to keep up the pace. Belarus intends to export more than $1 billion worth of merchandise to St Petersburg,” Roman Golovchenko remarked.
The prime minister pointed out that during the session of the Belarus-St Petersburg Business Cooperation Council it is important and of current interest to evaluate the state and prospects of development of bilateral ties, determine avenues for their further development and sketch out concrete measures for fulfilling them.
In 2021 Belarus' trade with St Petersburg totaled $1.743 billion, 14.5% up from 2020, with Belarus' export up by 13.6% to $982.1 million. Belarus secured a foreign trade surplus of $220.5 million. 2021 saw an increase in shipments of hot-rolled non-alloyed steel bars, butter, frozen beef, plastic containers, condensed and powdered milk and cream, potatoes, chipboards and fiberboards, parts and accessories for automobiles and tractors.
In January 2022 Belarus' trade with St Petersburg amounted to $122.5 million, 15.9% up from January 2021. Belarus' export to St Petersburg went up by 1.2% to $68.8 million. Belarus sold more cheese and cottage cheese, butter, frozen fish, complex synthetic threads, potatoes, packaging materials, poultry meat, and whole milk to St Petersburg in the period.
