OREANDA-NEWS  On 24 February was announced, that Belarus offers Poland to take part in the privatization of Belarusian companies that are on the 2008-2010 list, Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov said as he met with Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak. The Polish delegation is in Belarus on a visit.

Belarus is carrying out a large-scale three-year privatization in respect of more than 500 companies.

“We are carrying out the programme to make these companies efficient rather than to earn some budgetary revenues,” Andrei Kobyakov said. Belarus would like to use the experience of Poland in this area.

The country has been taking steps to liberalize its economy. Last year Belarus moved up 30 positions in the World Bank rating.

“Our country is interested in the investment cooperation with Poland, in development of high-technology productions.” Andrei Kobyakov said. According to him, last year the bilateral trade reached almost USD 3 billion, up 25% from the previous year. Poland is among Belarus’ five most important trade and economic partners.

Andrei Kobyakov and Waldemar Pawlak discussed main avenues of bilateral cooperation. They agreed to hold a session of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Polish commission for trade and economic cooperation in January-November 2009. The sides also considered a joint project on the Augustow Cannel. The sides believe it is necessary to consider concrete investment projects in oil and gas industry, banking and privatization. Belarus is also interested to work with Poland within the framework of the Eastern Partnership project.

For his part, Waldemar Pawlak praised the high level of contacts between Belarusian and Polish companies. He also added that there is a need to discuss energy and transport issues.

Belarus and Poland are intent on implementing the project Yamal-Europe 2. The relevant statement was made by Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and Poland Vice Premier, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak after their meeting in Minsk on February 23.

According to the Vice Premier of Poland, the construction of the second line of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline has good chances of coming true. He believes the project can be implemented faster than others and it is less expensive.

In addition, the sides had discussed cooperation with Poland in liquid fuel supplies, said Waldemar Pawlak. “We are in favour of implementing joint projects in the area of power engineering, gas, and liquid fuel,” he said. Waldemar Pawlak also spoke in positive terms about the implementation of the joint project for building a coal-fired cogeneration plant in Zelva in cooperation with Polish company Kulczyk Holding.

The National Exhibition of Belarus will be held in Warsaw in June. The agreement was reached during the meeting between Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov and Vice-Premier – Economy Minister of Poland Waldemar Pawlak on February 23 in Minsk.

The sides are planning to organize a business meeting within the framework of the exhibition.

Summing up the meeting, Andrei Kobyakov said that trade and economic cooperation between Poland and Belarus has been successfully developing. Some barriers to trade were removed. In 2008 trade reached USD 3 billion, up 45%.

Five joint Belarusian-Polish working groups have been set up for trade-economic, technological and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Andrei Kobyakov expressed the confidence that the cooperation will continue developing.

On February 23 the sides signed three documents: the agreement between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on joint action to implement three projects (Gomel, Good Neighborliness, Augustow Canal); the agreement between the State Standardization Service of Belarus and Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; memorandum between the Belarusian currency stock exchange and Warsaw stock exchange.