MINSK, 20 November (BelTA) – Russia’s Karelia is interested in cooperating with Belarus in the IT sector, mutual supplies of equipment, industrial cooperation, and tourism, Oleg Yermolayev, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Government of Karelia , told the media on the sidelines of a business forum with the participation of Belarusian and Karelian business in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
“Our mining industry is developing. We purchase a great deal of equipment here. Just one company, Karelsky Okatysh, has bought 35 vehicles over the last two years. There are more orders to come. Collaboration is also possible. There is a very good example: Amkodor-Onego has been operating for five years and has produced more than 300 units of machinery for the timber industry. The products have found end customers in Russia. Some machines, by the way, are supplied from Russia back to Belarus and other countries,” Oleg Yermolayev said.
The parties intend to sign a cooperation agreement for the next three years. Among the new areas of focus is cooperation in IT.
“Karelia serves as a center of expertise in the development of new IT solutions. For instance, we have a company that is one of the leaders in medical analytics. It's a kind of AI-powered assistant for doctors. The product is used in more than 50 regions of Russia across various private and public medical organizations. We are confident that we can find opportunities for cooperation,” Oleg Yermolayev added.
Traditional sectors include the supply of lumber and stone. Here, companies expect to find new partners.
Another sector with significant potential is tourism. In May 2026, Minsk and Petrozavodsk will launch a direct air service, which will also facilitate business contacts. The flights will be operated by the Severstal company once a week until September.
“Residents of Karelia love to visit Belarus, especially for spa and resort treatment. After all, we live in the North; we need to rejuvenate. You have excellent medical-focused facilities in this regard. Of course, we look forward to hosting residents of Belarus and invite them to discover Karelia. Over 1.5 million tourists choose our region as a vacation destination every year. Many groups and individual tourists come from Belarus. We welcome everyone. I am sure they will have wonderful memories,” he noted.
The delegation includes tour operators. They have planned meetings with representatives of the Belarusian tourism industry to map out forms of collaboration. One possible format is pilgrimage. Valaam Island is one of the destinations. A route is being developed to span several regions and holy sites, including those in the Republic of Karelia.
There are also plans to develop children's tourism. “For example, we are home to three New Year's wizards at once, all relatives of Russia's Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Children are very impressed when they visit these places. by the way, the train of Russia's Ded Moroz is stationed in Karelia. Everything related to New Year's tourism for families and children is a major prospect for our further cooperation. We have already discussed a whole range of issues. We would like children to travel more and learn more about Russia. Belarus is a wonderful country. We share a common history,” Oleg Yermolayev added.
He also spoke about a project to create a museum of the partisan movement in the region and emphasized the importance of exchanging best practices with Belarus, which has rich experience in preserving historical memory.
The business forum aims to expand trade and economic cooperation and establish direct contacts between business. The event featured a presentation of the investment potential of the Republic of Karelia, information about the specifics of doing business in the Republic of Belarus, and B2B negotiations. The forum was attended by Karelian and Belarusian companies, representatives of government bodies and business associations.
Direct air service between Petrozavodsk and Minsk offers a number of advantages for both passengers and the economy. Tour operators are eager to develop special service packages for tourists from Belarus, taking into account the preferences and needs of visiting guests, and to improve the booking system and online services to simplify ticket booking and trip organization.
On the sidelines of the forum, cooperation agreements were signed between the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Karelia in the field of exchange trade, and also between Karbon-Shungit Company (mining and processing of shungite in Karelia) and the Institute of Nature Management at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (cooperation in R&D, innovation, and technology).
“Our mining industry is developing. We purchase a great deal of equipment here. Just one company, Karelsky Okatysh, has bought 35 vehicles over the last two years. There are more orders to come. Collaboration is also possible. There is a very good example: Amkodor-Onego has been operating for five years and has produced more than 300 units of machinery for the timber industry. The products have found end customers in Russia. Some machines, by the way, are supplied from Russia back to Belarus and other countries,” Oleg Yermolayev said.
The parties intend to sign a cooperation agreement for the next three years. Among the new areas of focus is cooperation in IT.
“Karelia serves as a center of expertise in the development of new IT solutions. For instance, we have a company that is one of the leaders in medical analytics. It's a kind of AI-powered assistant for doctors. The product is used in more than 50 regions of Russia across various private and public medical organizations. We are confident that we can find opportunities for cooperation,” Oleg Yermolayev added.
Traditional sectors include the supply of lumber and stone. Here, companies expect to find new partners.
Another sector with significant potential is tourism. In May 2026, Minsk and Petrozavodsk will launch a direct air service, which will also facilitate business contacts. The flights will be operated by the Severstal company once a week until September.
“Residents of Karelia love to visit Belarus, especially for spa and resort treatment. After all, we live in the North; we need to rejuvenate. You have excellent medical-focused facilities in this regard. Of course, we look forward to hosting residents of Belarus and invite them to discover Karelia. Over 1.5 million tourists choose our region as a vacation destination every year. Many groups and individual tourists come from Belarus. We welcome everyone. I am sure they will have wonderful memories,” he noted.
The delegation includes tour operators. They have planned meetings with representatives of the Belarusian tourism industry to map out forms of collaboration. One possible format is pilgrimage. Valaam Island is one of the destinations. A route is being developed to span several regions and holy sites, including those in the Republic of Karelia.
There are also plans to develop children's tourism. “For example, we are home to three New Year's wizards at once, all relatives of Russia's Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Children are very impressed when they visit these places. by the way, the train of Russia's Ded Moroz is stationed in Karelia. Everything related to New Year's tourism for families and children is a major prospect for our further cooperation. We have already discussed a whole range of issues. We would like children to travel more and learn more about Russia. Belarus is a wonderful country. We share a common history,” Oleg Yermolayev added.
He also spoke about a project to create a museum of the partisan movement in the region and emphasized the importance of exchanging best practices with Belarus, which has rich experience in preserving historical memory.
The business forum aims to expand trade and economic cooperation and establish direct contacts between business. The event featured a presentation of the investment potential of the Republic of Karelia, information about the specifics of doing business in the Republic of Belarus, and B2B negotiations. The forum was attended by Karelian and Belarusian companies, representatives of government bodies and business associations.
Direct air service between Petrozavodsk and Minsk offers a number of advantages for both passengers and the economy. Tour operators are eager to develop special service packages for tourists from Belarus, taking into account the preferences and needs of visiting guests, and to improve the booking system and online services to simplify ticket booking and trip organization.
On the sidelines of the forum, cooperation agreements were signed between the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Karelia in the field of exchange trade, and also between Karbon-Shungit Company (mining and processing of shungite in Karelia) and the Institute of Nature Management at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (cooperation in R&D, innovation, and technology).
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