MINSK, 29 March (BelTA) - Trade between Belarus and Russia’s Leningrad Oblast is planned to grow by 3.8% this year, Leningrad Oblast Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko told STV TV channel, BelTA has learned.
“We’re expecting our trade [between Belarus and Leningrad Oblast] to grow by about 3.8% this year. It’s great to see new product lines expanding from both Belarus and Leningrad Oblast. For us, for instance, supplies of various plastic goods have become key. We’re now selling Belarus not just timber, but finished wood products. Volumes keep growing. We get machinery from Belarus, and the range is expanding. We used to mainly import food products from there, but today Leningrad Oblast also supplies food,” Aleksandr Drozdenko explained. He added that cooperation extends to several other areas too.
The governor highlighted machinery production in particular. “First off, when it comes to production cooperation, we have to mention the Amkodor project we’re implementing in Gatchina, the capital of Leningrad Oblast. These are new areas for us - road machinery and forestry equipment. Agricultural machinery remains a staple, as Belarus keeps surprising us with new product lines and improving quality year after year. Today, we subsidize our agribusinesses not just for Russian equipment, but Belarusian too. We’re closely eyeing Belarusian buses right now and would love a major service center focused on them, both mid-size and intercity large buses,” the governor said.
Aleksandr Drozdenko also said Leningrad Oblast is exploring new machinery cooperation avenues with Belarus. “Take motorcycles, for example. We’ve already bought a small first batch [of Minsk motorcycles]. They’re super reliable, sturdy, and durable. We use them for kids’ sports, forest fire patrols, and more. We’re also watching passenger car production closely. Russia has joint ventures with China, and Belarus does too, but the price-quality ratio here is solid,” the Leningrad Oblast governor emphasized.
Screenshot from STV TV channel video
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