MINSK, 29 September (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia maintain a high level of coordination in common industrial policy, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said on the sidelines of the international industrial expo INNOPROM. Belarus, BelTA has learned.
“Our cooperation, supported by an interstate loan, is almost entirely focused on the manufacturing sector, spanning machine tools, timber, aircraft, and automotive industries. In my opinion, our agenda is exceptionally diverse. Today my colleagues and I discussed new joint projects they would like us to finance. Belarusian enterprises also participate in projects relating to the defense industry,” Anton Alikhanov said.
He stressed that Belarus and Russia now have a high level of interaction. “There are, of course, always problematic issues but over the recent time we have arranged our work very well. We are in touch with our colleagues virtually every day to discuss various matters,” he said.
The minister did not go into detail about the new projects but noted they will be in mechanical engineering and machine tool industry. “Today we discussed how we will develop the automobile industry. Belarus has a large enterprise BelGee in cooperation with Chinese manufacturers,” he pointed out. “Our market is not that large and the factories, which have been already created, are supposed to create a certain balance. It is not worth continuing the race to expand the number of manufacturing sites. The investment race abroad may be a consequence of processes inside China. It is necessary to treat it attentively and carefully. The capacity of the Russian market will shrink this year in comparison with previous periods. And it is more than covered by the manufacturing sites, which have been built both in our country and in Belarus.”
According to Anton Alikhanov, the INNOPROM. Belarus expo has attracted a lot of interest, including from Russian regions. “Aleksandr Lukashenko traditionally pays a lot of attention to direct work with Russian regions. I visited Belarus as a governor several times and we always discussed various avenues of cooperation,” he added. “Belarus has something to show. Joint projects are advancing, so I am convinced that INNOPROM. Belarus expo will prove itself well here.”
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