An archive photo
MINSK, 18 June (BelTA) - The Minsk branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI) hosted a business meeting with representatives of a Chinese delegation from Shanghai. The meeting was aimed at establishing new strong contacts and signing a memorandum of cooperation, BelTA has learned.
The BelCCI traditionally organizes meetings between domestic companies and foreign businesses. “Cooperation with Chinese partners is very important. The Minsk branch [of BelCCI] alone holds about 20 different events annually. Today’s event is fundamentally different from the usual ones because we are establishing new connections with a very powerful structure from Shanghai,” Director General of BelCCI’s Minsk branch Sergei Nabeshko said.
The Chinese delegation visiting the Minsk branch included representatives from the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce (SFIC), which is a counterpart of the BelCCI. It unites over 13,000 companies. “Shanghai ranks among the world’s top five cities in terms of economy and finance. Its port is the leader in cargo turnover globally. In October last year, the SFIC launched a new initiative: to create a friendly network of chambers of commerce in Shanghai’s twin cities. Shanghai has over 80 twin cities, including Minsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Hamburg, San Francisco, Yokohama, and others. It’s truly a major city and municipality that has long been engaged in diverse cooperation,” the director general explained.
Under sanctions, chambers of commerce must serve as a bridge to help domestic businesses overcome obstacles, Sergei Nabeshko believes. “Today we are signing a memorandum of cooperation and placing great hopes on it,” he noted.
Both Minsk and Shanghai companies attended the business meeting. These are companies involved in high-tech equipment production, logistics, and information technology. A large round of negotiations is expected following the official meeting.
Vice Chairman of the SFIC Wang Jianming stressed that Chinese partners are particularly interested in cooperation with Belarus in agriculture, including in supplies of dairy and meat products, especially beef. “We would also like to explore cooperation in heavy industry. Belarus has a very strong economic foundation,” he said. “In China, high-tech manufacturing of electric scooters and vehicles is currently popular. We know Belarus is located in the heart of Europe, so establishing railway connections would also be of interest for us. This is another area we would like to discuss.”
Wang Jianming added that Belarus and China currently enjoy very good and friendly relations, so it is important to find new contacts and opportunities for cooperation between companies.
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