MINSK, 26 September (BelTA) - Belarus is increasing exports to Asian countries, primarily China, as well as to Africa, and is actively working on the markets of Latin America, Belarusian First Deputy Economy Minister Andrei Kartun said in an interview to the First News TV Channel, BelTA has learned.
“Talking about exports in general, we have a growth at 4.5% since the start of the year. Perhaps this is not the rate we wanted. I will remind you that we planned to finish the year with a rate of almost 8%. This is quite an ambitious figure. We may not reach it, but it is still too early to make conclusions. At least, we see that we are improving our export positions. Most importantly, we are expanding the export of food products and consumer goods. There is growth in our new markets. We do not seek to increase supplies to the Russian market by leaps and bounds. We are actively increasing exports to Asia - by more than 10%. We are actively developing Africa - it is a new point of growth for our exports. We have launched serious work here, and there is a plan for specific positions. Enterprises have been informed what to sell, where to, and in what quantities. We have identified major points in Africa. The result is a fourfold increase in exports. This is a great success for us. If we continue at this pace, we will approach $1 billion in exports next year. At least, we will try to do so. We are looking to achieve at least $0.7-0.8 billion next year,” Andrei Kartun said.
Latin America is another promising destination. “This is a huge market with an untapped potential. We were traditionally represented there by primary commodities. We are gathering pace of work here. There are certain plans that have been approved at the government level. Yes, these countries are far away, but, nevertheless, we need to work to ensure that our traditional goods, which are in demand among our neighbors, find their way to new markets. I am sure that the demand will be great,” the first deputy minister said.
Belarus has entered a new stage of interaction with China. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang has recently paid a visit to Belarus, and a number of agreements have been concluded. “The most promising one is an agreement on trade in services and investment. The ratification of this agreement is underway. We see prospects for export growth of about 15% in the coming years. We also count on a significant growth of investments. As for Chinese investments, we have already compiled a certain portfolio following the meetings. We have more than 14 projects. The amount of potential Chinese investments has already exceeded $1 billion. Some of these projects are being implemented. The implementation of new ones will be launched in the near future. I think a more active phase will start next year,” Andrei Kartun said.
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