Call on Belarus, Karelia to expand trade, cooperation

MINSK, 7 December (BelTA) – Belarus needs to expand trade and implement cooperative projects with Karelia, Belarusian Forestry Minister Aleksandr Kulik said at the business forum “Belarus-Karelia: business cooperation, effective partnership” on 7 December, BelTA has learned.

Trade and economic cooperation is the most important area of interaction between Belarus and Karelia. Its priorities are to strengthen the exporters' positions, expand the commodity distribution network, cooperation in agriculture, science, woodworking, forestry and technologies. “In addition to increasing supplies of traditional groups of goods, it is necessary to expand the list of exported goods and implement cooperative projects, which guarantees long-term and fruitful cooperation. We are glad that the intensity of contacts between representatives of state authorities, organizations and businesses has increased. Close interaction has been established through the chambers of commerce and industry of Belarus and Karelia. Business delegations pay regular visits and actively use the exhibition grounds to maintain the dialogue and find new niches of cooperation,” the minister said.

According to him, in January-October 2022 trade between Belarus and Karelia amounted to almost $64 million (export - $44 million, import - $20 million). Belarus' main exports included wood pulp, trucks, logging and woodworking equipment, frozen fruit, animal feed products, machinery and mechanisms for earthworks. The main imports from Karelia were gravel, crushed stone, farming and horticulture equipment, fats, oils from fish or marine mammals, granite, basalt and sandstone.