OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2008. Belarus is interested in developing trade and economic cooperation with St. Petersburg, Andrei Kobyakov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, told reporters after a session of the working group of the Business Cooperation Council of the Republic of Belarus and St. Petersburg, reported the Official website www.government.by.

The working group of the Business Cooperation Council of Belarus and St. Petersburg considered 12 issues. The committee for economic development, industrial policy and trade of St. Petersburg and the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs of Belarus were commissioned to prepare proposals on the nomenclature and volumes of deliveries of foodstuffs from Belarus to St. Petersburg in 2008.

The session considered a concept to open a Belarusian retail network in St. Petersburg. The two sides agreed on holding the Days of Culture of St. Petersburg in Belarus in 2009 and the Days of Culture of Belarus in St. Petersburg in 2010.

Besides, the working group decided to develop a joint programme on evolving cooperation between scientific organizations of Belarus and St. Petersburg for 2009-2011.

The sides discussed chances of developing cooperation between Zvezda Company and the Belarusian Railways. The two companies are getting ready to sign a joint protocol on cooperation development for 2008-2010.

Kozitsky Plant and Horizont Company show interest in further cooperation development as well. Belarus plans to produce transmitters for digital TV broadcasting.

The two sides also intend to set up a joint Russian-Belarusian center on microsystem technologies within the Union State programme “Development and Production of New Generation Microsystem Technology and Unified Systems of Double Purposes” for 2009-2012.
The session underlined a successful completion of a 136-tonne BelAZ truck testing. A decision has been taken to produce a pilot assignment of BelAZ rock haulers with a new driving gear of Power Machines Company. Besides, the Russian company intends to take part in an auction on the purchase of a steam turbo-installation for Bereza State District Power Plant and Minsk cogeneration plant No 5.

The session considered an opportunity of a joint production of trolleybuses of BelavtoMAZ and Politronika company group.

According to St. Petersburg Vice-Governor Mikhail Oseevsky, St. Petersburg is deeply interested in the Belarusian experience of sports facility construction. The Russian city is also set to increase the imports of Belarusian agricultural products.

The two sides discussed an opportunity to expand the railway communications between Belarusian towns and St. Petersburg (passenger and cargo hauls).

According to Andrei Kobyakov, undertaken measures to increase trade and economic cooperation show that the two sides are able to reach \\$2 billion in trade turnover by late 2008.

The next session of the Business Cooperation Council working group will take place in St. Petersburg in October 2008.