MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Turkey are important trade and economic partners. The major task for them is to balance trade, Chairman of the Standing Committee for International Affairs of the House of Representatives Andrei Savinykh told the media on 18 December, BelTA has learned.
According to Andrei Savinykh, the relations between Belarus and Turkey have become strategic in recent years. “A dialogue has been established at the highest level and the heads of state have exchanged official visits. Close contacts are maintained by the parliaments. The two states discuss all important issues on the international agenda on a regular basis. Turkey is also a very important trade and economic partner of Belarus. We have almost reached $1 billion in trade. Today's task is to balance it and make it stable,” the MP said.
Andrei Savinykh named transport cooperation as one the priority areas discussed by the MPs of the two countries. “We are discussing the possibility of water freight traffic on the Dnieper River with the use of river-sea vessels. Plans are also in place to attract Turkish investment and set up Turkish companies to produce goods that will be supplied to the EAEU market in the future,” the MP said.
In his words, there is also need for bolder steps to launch Belarusian assembly facilities in Turkey. “If we do this, we will occupy our niche on the Turkish market,” said Andrei Savinykh. He recalled that the facility assembling Belarusian tractors has already been launched in Turkey. Now projects to assemble Gomselmash harvesters and probably Amkodor vehicles are in the works,” the MP said.
“There is no doubt that the relations between Belarus and Turkey will be developing dynamically and steadily in the future,” Andrei Savinykh stressed. "By cooperating, both countries will benefit both in the short term and in the long term,” he added.
on 18 December the House of Representatives hosted a meeting between Speaker Vladimir Andreichenko and Turkish Ambassador to Belarus Kezban Nilvana Darama. The parties discussed the prospects for Belarusian-Turkish parliamentary ties, cooperation in trade and economy.
