MOGILEV, 7 December (BelTA) – Mogilev Oblast and Altai Territory, Russian Federation should work out tighter manufacturing cooperation ties. Deputy Chairman of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee Ruslan Strakhar made the statement as he met with an Altai Territory delegation, BelTA has learned.
The official said that Mogilev Oblast traditionally maintains tight and friendly relations with all the regions of the Russian Federation. There is no doubt that cooperation with Altai Territory, the largest region of the Russian Federation, is very important for Mogilev Oblast. “We have a lot of prospects in this regard. It is important for us to promote our products. And our goods traditionally sell well, including agricultural machines, lifts and lifting equipment, chemical products, tires, and food. Apart from that, we buy a lot of components from Altai Territory enterprises. In our opinion, it is important to work out tighter manufacturing cooperation ties and maybe switch to the establishment of joint ventures in various areas,” Ruslan Strakhar noted.
Joint work in the area of science and education is another important component in cooperation of the two regions. “Despite the complicated pandemic periods our higher education institutions continue actively cooperating. Our task is to support this cooperation and determine new avenues in mechanical engineering, humanitarian sciences, and agriculture. It is no accident that the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy with its research experience and the experience of assimilating R&D products into the economy is a significant place for visits. The sphere of our interests in cooperation with the Russian Federation knows no bounds as always. And we intend to take cooperation with Altai Territory to the next level in all these areas,” the official stressed.
According to Ruslan Strakhar, in January-September 2021 trade between Mogilev Oblast and Altai Territory went up by 51% to exceed $8 million.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Altai Territory Government Aleksandr Lukyanov noted that the delegation intends to get familiar with key objects in Mogilev Oblast. “Belarus and the Russian Federation are connected by many things. Common roots, the former Soviet Union. We've built normal relations after the USSR collapse. Our trade turnover grows higher every year. We are very interested in the products made in Mogilev Oblast. Those are primarily machines, vehicles, equipment and their components. We wanted to see a lift manufacturing enterprise and a processing industry enterprise today. It is necessary to learn from those, who do it better than we do. You do better than we do at present. This is why we wanted to have a look, make acquaintances, and possibly sign some agreements on joint manufacturing, make arrangements for the future,” he noted.
According to the representative of the Russian delegation, cooperation in science and education is of particular interest. “Today we have the rector of our leading agricultural university with us. And we intend to visit the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy. We've heard a lot about it. We are ready to build relations with this academy in the form of exchange programs for students or other possibilities,” Aleksandr Lukyanov said.
According to Aleksandr Lukyanov, Altai Territory is a flagship region of the Russian Federation as far as agriculture is concerned. “The arable land exceeds 6 million hectares. As many as 43% of the people live in the countryside. Every year Altai Territory is ranked 3rd or 4th by the number of head of cattle. Altai Territory is Russia's third largest milk producer. We make over 95,000 tonnes of cheese and cheese products every year. About 40% of the meat products made in Altai Territory are exported. Every ninth tonne of flour made in Russia comes from Altai Territory. Altai Territory also accounts for over 60% of buckwheat made in Russia,” the official said. “Belarus has an excellent mechanical engineering industry. A number of Altai Territory enterprises work as official dealerships. Some assemble Belarusian machines and vehicles. Our agricultural enterprises buy Belarusian machines and vehicles with pleasure.”
While in Mogilev Oblast the Altai Territory delegation visited a number of major enterprises located in the city of Mogilev.
The delegation was made familiar with manufacturing processes and an exhibition of available products at OAO Mogilevliftmash.
According to Mogilevliftmash Deputy Director General for Commerce Anton Belsky, the company can offer various lifts, escalators, and car parking systems to Altai Territory. “These products sell well and are necessary for the normal operation of any other enterprises and for the convenience of the population. Even considering the distance between Mogilev Oblast and Altai Territory, our products are competitive, including on the markets of the Russian Federation,” he said. “All the components of our lifts are made in Mogilev. High quality is ensured at every stage of manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and shipping. This is why we offer an optimal value for money. And quality is our key criterion.”
During the tour of the enterprise Dmitry Abalymov, Chairman of the Association of the Altai Cluster of Power Plant Industry and Energy-Effective Technologies Altech, note that cooperation opportunities had been discussed there. In his words, there are five clusters in Altai Territory. They specialize in biopharmaceutics, agricultural machinery products, chemistry, polymeric composites, and power plant equipment. “Three years ago we decided to launch a strategic project – localize lift production in Altai Territory. We were looking for a partner and chose Mogilevliftmash. Because the local products were safe. And we liked a lot this safety tradition, this huge experience, transfer of technologies, new approaches to manufacturing that are available in Mogilev,” Dmitry Abalymov noted. “Our cluster comprises over 20 major enterprises. The equipment we have can handle more workload. This economic effect will be manifested not because we set up a new enterprise but because we will use the existing enterprises and increase their workload. Metal can be processed in Altai Territory while modern mechanisms and electronics that are made well in Mogilev can be shipped to us. And then we will make a good and quality product for an affordable price. And certainly we expect this trip to result in the signing of a document on cooperation. It will allow calculating the economic effect. If it is mutually profitable, we will advance to a new level of work.”
After Mogilevliftmash the Altai Territory delegation visited OAO Babushkina Krynka, OAO Mogilev Meat-Packing Plant, and the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy in Gorki.
