OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2009. Belarus and Kazakhstan should find new cooperation forms in order to preserve positive development of the mutual trade, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told after meeting with Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Masimov, reported the Official website government.by.

In 2009 Belarus and Kazakhstan considerably stepped up the intergovernmental dialogue in order to find unconventional solutions, new forms of cooperation that will allow preserving positive dynamics in the mutual trade, said Sergei Sidorsky.

In 2003-2008 the bilateral trade increased by more than 500% to exceed US500 million. However, over the first four months of 2009 the mutual trade shrank by almost 40%.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, the decisions made during the visit of the Kazakh head of Government to Belarus, measures taken by the two countries will allow reversing the shrinking trade tendency.

Sergei Sidorsky remarked that essential results have been reached in promoting manufacturing cooperation ties. This year 100 MTZ tractors, 60 Gomselmash grain harvesters have been assembled in Kazakhstan. The assembling of Bobruiskagromash semi-trailers has started and a contract for assembling heavy-duty tractors has been signed. “We believe this work is a significant step but an intermediate one in cooperation,” he said.

The Belarusian Premier underscored that at the meeting the sides had paid much attention to expanding the range of Kazakhstan-assembled Belarusian products with agricultural and quarry machines, with setting up joint enterprises to manufacture household appliances. Matters relating to starting up the joint production of buses and medications were discussed.

The sides agreed that it is necessary to step up cooperation in agriculture. In particular, the Belarusian side is ready to provide assistance in retooling and modernisation of Kazakhstan’s agribusiness. Relevant working groups are supposed to be set up for each area of cooperation.

The sides are also interested in cooperation in transport and healthcare.

Belarus will construct a plant to produce refrigerators and freezers in Kazakhstan. The relative agreement was signed by Atlant and Sary-Arka National Company in Minsk on June 10.

“It is the serious and big project which meets the economic potential of our countries,” Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted after his meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov.

“The implementation of such projects will give an impetus to the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries,” Sergei Sidorsky noted.

Kazakhstan is interested in setting up joint industrial ventures in Belarus in the area of agricultural engineering industry and refrigerator production, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov said as he met with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky.

The sides agreed to set up task groups on every cooperation area. First of all, it concerns agriculture and agricultural engineering.

According to Karim Masimov, among the factors that promote development of the trade and economic cooperation is the adoption of the EurAsEC decision on the formation of the unified Customs Union as well as the goal set forth before the authorities of Kazakhstan to speed up the industrialization of the country. Karim Masimov stressed that the Kazakh side is interested in developing cooperation in the agricultural engineering industry. The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan visited the Belarusian agro-industrial exhibition where he got familiar with the samples of the up-to-date equipment. According to him, the Belarusian agricultural equipment is better than its foreign analogues.

Besides, Kazakhstan is interested in constructing a plant to produce Belarusian refrigerators and freezers in Kazakhstan. Besides, the meeting discussed all opportunities of cooperation in supplies of milk, baby food and medications to Kazakhstan.

Belarusian industry has undoubted competitive advantages, said Prime Minster of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov.

“Belarus possesses some competitive advantages in a number of industries that are essential for the accelerated development of Kazakhstan, for example, in farm machine building. Such productions in the form of joint enterprises will be expanded in Kazakhstan,” Karim Masimov underlined.

In his words, Kazakhstan is a big agrarian country that needs quality agricultural machines and cutting-edge farm technologies. Apart from that, the country is pursuing a policy of accelerated industrial development. Karim Masimov underlined that this policy prompts a close cooperation with Belarus in a number of areas. He stressed that the agreements that were reached during his ongoing visit to Belarus should be more than declarations, they should be put into practice. Therefore, in order to facilitate the implementation of the joint projects, the Kazakh side suggested setting up a roadmap spelling out the responsibilities of the Belarusian Government and the Kazakh Government. According to Karim Masimov, this document will define the terms of financing and implementation of the projects. He is convinced that the designated deadlines will help complete the joint projects in time.

On June 10, according to the results of the talks held between Sergei Sidorsky and Karim Masimov, the two sides signed the Belarusian-Kazakh agreement on long-term economic cooperation for 2009-2016, the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in civil defence and emergency response, the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in higher education, other documents.

The Belarusian and Kazakh sides signed the agreement on setting up the joint venture to assemble Belarusian machine-tools in Kazakhstan, the agreement on setting up the joint venture to produce automobile trailers and cargo bodies between Sary-Arka National Company and MAZ-Kupava Plant, the agreement on setting up the joint venture to produce agricultural machinery between Sary-Arka National Company and Lidselmash, the general agreement on strategic partnership between Kazakhmys Corporation and BelAZ.