MINSK, 29 October (BelTA) – Minsk Oblast and the Czech Republic are interested in close cooperation, experience exchange, and boosting export and import of goods and services, including through joint ventures, Minsk Oblast Vice Governor Nikolai Rogashchuk said as he met with a Czech delegation led by Czechia Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Martin Tlapa during their visit to Minsk Oblast, BelTA has learned.
The Czech delegation decided to visit Minsk Oblast thanks to cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry of Belarus and Czechia. “We hope to sign new agreements and contracts. This year, the export of goods from Minsk Oblast totaled almost $18 million. We still have a trade deficit with Czechia, with import to Minsk Oblast down by 13%. Export growth was twice as fast as import growth. We will try to find new areas of common interest in establishing joint ventures and supplying products to Czechia,” Nikolai Rogashchuk said.
Minsk Oblast major exports to Czechia include fertilizers by Belaruskali and aluminum products by the free economic zone Minsk resident company AluminTechno. Major imports are cardboard, paper, and air conditioning systems.
Cooperation between Czechia and Minsk Oblast hold great promise, Martin Tlapa believes. “We are interested in implementing new projects. I would also like to note that Czechia is a kind of a gateway to the European Union for Belarus,” Martin Tlapa said.
Minsk Oblast and Czechia have established relations not only in business and economy, but also in sport and humanitarian matters. For example, in 2019 Belarusian specialists took part in a business forum and a mechanical engineering expo in Czechia. Minsk Oblast also has good relations with its twin region Vysocina Region in training rescue workers, the two regions constantly exchange delegations of rescue services of the emergencies ministries of the two countries. Moreover, both Czechia and Minsk Oblast hosted joint events of children's and junior ice hockey teams in August. “We are stepping up fruitful cooperation, because Belarus is open and ready for a dialogue with all countries,” Nikolai Rogashchuk stressed.
The Czech delegation will stay in Minsk Oblast for two days and will then visit Vitebsk Oblast.
