MINSK, 4 October (BelTA) – The ways to strengthen trade and economic relations were discussed at a meeting between Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Belarus Manfred Huterer on 4 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament.
The chairman of the Council of the Republic named the chemical industry as one of promising areas of cooperation. Belarus produces modern polymeric materials (fibers and threads) and supplies them to other countries. “We could make finished products out of them and are interested in cooperating with you in the area,” said Mikhail Myasnikovich. According to him, joint projects with Belarus open up good opportunities for German business to enter the markets of the EAEU countries.
Belarus views Germany as a key partner in the European Union, the speaker said. He emphasized the positive momentum in bilateral relations. In 2018, mutual trade exceeded $3 billion. At the same time, this year the trade decreased in comparison with the same period of the previous year. “Bilateral trade has contracted. We need to look for reserves to boost it, and we actually have them,” the chairman of the Council of the Republic said. “In fact, we have few joint companies. We need to work on the matter, including through the involvement of partners from third countries.”
Belarus counts on a more active partnership with German companies in areas of mutual interest. Comfortable conditions for investors have been created in the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone, Mikhail Myasnikovich said. He suggested cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative to Germany.
The inter-parliamentary cooperation has become significantly more active in recent years. Mikhail Myasnikovich hailed the results of the visit of the Bundestag delegation, led by Mark Hauptmann, Chairman of the German-Belarusian Parliamentary Friendship Group, member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy of the German Bundestag, to Minsk in June 2019. “We discussed interregional cooperation. As a chamber of regional representation, we would like to have more contacts on site. We need to strengthen the regional direction,” said the chairman of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament.
In turn, Manfred Huterer supported the initiatives to intensify investment cooperation. “Our relations are on the rise, and we can say that there is a window of opportunity that we should take advantage of,” he said. According to the ambassador, German companies need to know more about Belarus. In this regard, the possibility is considered to hold a joint business forum in Germany, where Belarus' investment potential will be showcased.
The parties talked over the results of German Economy Day that was held in Minsk in September 2019. Manfred Huterer also announced the plans to organize German Science Days in Belarus in 2020. Mikhail Myasnikovich welcomed the idea.
Photos by Andrei Pokumeiko
