OREANDA-NEWS. July 01, 2009. The Belarusian market is a priority one for Sberbank of Russia, said Sberbank President, Chairman of the Board German Gref as he met with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky, reported the Official website government.by.

“According to our development strategy, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan are top-priority partners, with which we will develop business,” noted German Gref.

Out of these countries Sberbank is present in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. “We will work hard in order to be properly represented on the financial services market of Belarus, especially during this complicated time when few investors are eager to expand their business,” he stressed.

German Gref added: “Our plans have not changed. We see new opportunities for our presence, presence of our business in Belarus”. He remarked that Sberbank, the government and the National Bank have established productive relations. Several meetings regarding cooperation matters have been held.

“Since February we have seriously advanced in an overwhelming majority of issues stipulated by the cooperation memorandum. Today we are ready to talk about specific projects,” said German Gref. “In the near future we will advance all articles of the reached agreements to implementation,” he added.

Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky remarked that at present reaching an agreement on Sberbank’s participation in concrete innovation and investment projects is the priority. In Belarus Sberbank will participate in lending, financial support and will act as an advisor about many transactions in the country. “We appreciate Sberbank as a high-quality bank that can always provide consultations. At present our experts work vigorously with Sberbank experts. Today we would like to discuss the progress in matters concerning both privatisation and the development of relations between Sberbank and Belarusian companies,” said the Prime Minister.

He also added that Belarus has been vigorously attracting resources and using them for future innovation-based development. Sergei Sidorsky added: “We can expand the memorandum, the agreements that were adopted earlier.”