OREANDA-NEWS. On May 21, 2009 Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky and Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov discussed the urgent issues of bilateral cooperation and the interaction in the EurAsEC and the CIS, reported the press-centre of government.by.

Belarus is interested in building up bilateral trade, deepening other forms of economic interaction including inter-industrial cooperation and setting up joint facilities. The potential of investment cooperation has not been used to the full. Belarus is also interested in involving Kazakhstan capital in the projects implemented in Belarus.

Kazakhstan is one of Belarus’ major trading and economic partners ranking third, after Russia and Ukraine, in Belarus’ trade with the CIS member states.

In 2008, Belarus-Kazakhstan trade exceeded US500 million, up 4.7% from a year earlier. Exports reached US 365.2 million, up 1.1%. Belarus had a trade surplus of US 193.4 million.

In January-March 2009, the trade was down 27.2% to US 75.9 million. Exports shrank by 13.1% to US 58.7 million, imports by 53.1% to US 17.3 million.

Belarus is ready to share its advanced production technologies with Kazakhstan, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said during a meeting between businessmen of Belarus and Kazakhstan in Astana.

“We offer Kazakhstan advanced technologies in transport, engineering, machine-tool construction, processing of meat and dairy products, wood-working and others,” the Belarusian Premier said. “It will be a good continuation of those projects that have been already implemented here. A lot has been done. We have started producing tractors in Kazakhstan, cooperating in the engineering industry, exporting elevators to Kazakhstan. There are also projects in the agricultural engineering industry (grain harvesters, automotive engineering),” Sergei Sidorsky said.

The Belarusian Premier reminded that the two countries have been implementing an array of projects in the pharmaceutical industry. Belarus is ready to offer Kazakhstan the latest technologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing and food production. There are several proposals from the Kazakh side ranging from the petrochemical, processing to light industries.

After the meeting between Belarusian and Kazakhstan businessmen, Sergei Sidorsky held several meetings with Kazakhstan businessmen.

There are several assembly facilities of Belarusian tractors, harvesters and semi-trailers in Kazakhstan, though their industrial output is still low. Kazakhstan is considering providing financial support to increase the capacities of these assembly facilities.

A contract to supply 1,000 machine sets to assemble tractors in Pavlodor was signed in April 2009. The sources of financing are being negotiated now.

To create favourable economic conditions for Belarusian assembly facilities in Kazakhstan, a draft agreement between the government of the Republic of Belarus and the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on industrial and sci-tech cooperation was prepared. The agreement envisages non-levying of VAT on goods supplied within the framework of cooperation projects.

Joint projects in Kazakhstan based on the Belarusian experience in manufacturing agriculture machines, trucks, other machinery construction products can benefit the two sides. The Belarusian side is looking to expand the range of products assembled in Kazakhstan and hopes for the assistance on the part of the Kazakh side in increasing the capacities of the existing facilities of MTZ, Gomselmash and Bobruiskagromash. Belarus is seeking to set up joint assembly facilities in Kazakhstan of sowing equipment, bailers, trailers, engines, lifts. MAZ is ready to establish an assembly production of grain road-trains.

Belarus and Kazakhstan will continue cooperation in agriculture. Belarus is ready to share its technologies in poultry production and processing, potato and vegetable growing.

A project on organizing the joint production of Belarusian furniture, corrugated packaging and other products is being considered.

Innovation technologies can be an essential contribution of Belarus to the EurAsEC anticrisis fund, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told media. “We’ve come to terms about the fund and I told Mansurov [EurAsEC Secretary General – BelTA] that Belarus will introduce even more active proposals concerning not only monetary means. Belarus is ready to contribute the highest quality innovation technologies. We will offer these technologies to our partners in EurAsEC. This contribution will be worth several hundreds or maybe billions of dollars,” stressed Sergei Sidorsky.

Russia’s contribution has been set at US 7.5 billion, contributions of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia — US 1 million each. Kazakhstan will contribute US 1 billion.