VITEBSK, 2 September (BelTA) – Prospects for cooperation in mechanical engineering were discussed at the third Belarus-Uzbekistan Women's Business Forum, which is taking place in Vitebsk as part of the visit of a delegation from Uzbekistan to Belarus, BelTA has learned.
Mechanical engineering is of great importance for both countries, and the forum dedicated a separate section to its development and the establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation in this area. The session was held at Vitstroitekhmash, a company that produces in-demand equipment such as lifts and cranes for both Belarus and foreign markets. The company's Director General Andrei Sidorov, stated that, in addition to special equipment, the plant manufactures new products, i.e. equipment for ports and airfields, including lifting cranes for seaports. “At the forum, we are interested in engaging with representatives of Uzbekistan's engineering sector to develop new roadmaps. Our enterprise has achieved maximum localization. We have expanded and increased the localization volumes even for existing production lines. We have practically no imports,” he told the media.
Discussing mechanical engineering, the session participants noted that it is a strategic sector underpinning technological development, industrial modernization, and the advancement of the agricultural sector. “The engineering sector is becoming one of the drivers of mutually beneficial cooperation between Belarus and Uzbekistan,” said Vladislav Tatarinovich, Chairman of the Standing Commission on Economy, Budget, and Finance of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus.
He emphasized that effective cooperation in the sector can be established on a regional level and in a targeted manner with specific enterprises.
Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Economic Reforms of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Erkin Gadoev stressed that the development of all economic sectors in any country depends on the successful operation of its engineering complex. “Your products are highly valued in our country; they are used primarily at our major enterprises, for example, BelAZ trucks, as well as by farmers and agricultural producers. This refers to tractors and other agricultural machinery, which is of very high quality. This meeting at the forum opens up significant opportunities for further economic cooperation,” he said.
Belarusian First Deputy Industry Minister Andrei Konyushko told the media how Belarus-Uzbekistan interaction in mechanical engineering is deepening. “We discussed further cooperation with our colleagues from Uzbekistan's engineering sector. We have a joint venture ready to work with both MAZ and MTZ, and there is the matter of certification and localization at the local level. Today, all preliminary agreements have been solidified, and a memorandum has been signed to create a Belarusian-Uzbek product for the market. This involves the localization of certain types of tractors, MAZ, and BelAZ vehicles. The interconnection and synergistic cooperation of the two engineering complexes should yield results, namely, an increase in sales in the markets of Uzbekistan and nearby Central Asian countries,” he explained.
Guests from Uzbekistan also presented their country's investment potential at the session. “Uzbekistan has unveiled significant prospects for business. We are interested in establishing contacts with Belarusian companies and finding common ground, as we have identified several key areas for cooperation: the pharmaceutical industry, the food processing sector, the agricultural sector, given Belarus' considerable experience in this field, and also mechanical engineering,” said Roksana Nesor, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan.
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