MINSK, 22 April (BelTA) – We suggest deepening cooperation in mechanical engineering, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting with Governor of Russia's Arkhangelsk Oblast Alexander Tsybulsky in Minsk on 22 April, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian side has thoroughly analyzed the joint opportunities. Mechanical engineering and the supply of Belarusian mechanical engineering goods remain the backbone of bilateral cooperation.
For example, BelAZ dump trucks have proven their worth, including in the conditions of the Far North. Today, negotiations are underway to ship a batch of dump trucks for the First Mining Company.
The next item on the agenda is passenger transport. "We are grateful to you for choosing MAZ buses for a large-scale transport fleet upgrade program in the capital of your region. We supplied 150 vehicles at the end of 2022 - the beginning of 2023. Warranty and post-warranty service is a priority for Belarusian manufacturers. Please rest assured that all the shortcomings that may be identified during the operation will be fixed immediately," the head of state said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that Belarusian enterprises are ready to participate in the organization of maintenance on the ground: "If necessary, we will maintain our vehicles ourselves. We can send engineers and recruit people locally. We will train them, and they will, under the guidance of our engineers, maintain the equipment that we will supply to you."
The supply of logging machines is also relevant for Arkhangelsk Oblast since the region is one of the major woodlands in Russia.
"You use Amkodor goods too. However some still choose vehicles from unfriendly countries. Spare parts are brought using gray schemes at an exorbitant price (sometimes five times more expensive); out-of-service goods are taken apart. It's not effective. We are implementing a unique project in Petrozavodsk: Amkodor is setting up its first facility to make forestry machines in Russia. The head office in Minsk and Amkodor-Onego in Karelia are now honing the quality and tailoring the goods to the needs of the Russian buyers. I hope that Arkhangelsk loggers will get interested in the new Union State goods. I ask you to support this project, which is beneficial for us and for you. At the same time, I do not rule out the possibility of cooperating directly with you from Minsk and providing all the needs (and they are not small) of Arkhangelsk Oblast," the president said.