OREANDA-NEWS. April 09, 2010. Belarus and the Moscow Oblast have signed a trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation program for 2010-2012.
 
It is the third program the sides have signed to build up on the framework agreement on cooperation.

“It is important that today after analyzing the fulfillment of previous programs we have decided to put together a new one. Following our instructions experts have done their part and compiled the program for cooperation in 2010-2012,” said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky after the document was signed.

The Belarusian head of government said that the program provides for switching over to high-tech manufacturing in the bilateral cooperation. “We agreed that research products of our scientists in plasma technologies, coating technology will be assimilated by Moscow Oblast companies”. Sergei Sidorsky said that the sides have agreed to promote deep integration of companies.

The sides reached an agreement in sports. Sergei Sidorsky said that he had got familiar with the development of sports arenas while in the Moscow Oblast. The Russian side has presented several architectural design solutions of the relevant facilities to Belarus. Belarus demonstrated its Minsk Arena as part of the present visit of Moscow Oblast Governor Boris Gromov. The sides agreed that prior to major sports competitions, including the Olympics, Belarus and the Moscow Oblast will provide access to their sports facilities to each other’s sportsmen.

All in all, the program lists about ten avenues the bilateral relations should be promoted in.

Sergei Sidorsky said: “We are satisfied with the progress in Belarus’ trade and economic cooperation with the Moscow Oblast. We hope that we will step it up as early as this year”.

At the meeting with Moscow Oblast Governor Boris Gromov Sergei Sidorsky stressed that in the crisis time the sides lost around 30% of the trade volume they reached in 2008 (close to USD 8 billion in 2008). Sergei Sidorsky attributed the fall to the overall situation in relations with the Russian Federation and said the decrease was much lower than that in trade with other provinces.

“It means that the purposeful work, especially that of economic operators, the vertical authorities of Belarus and the Moscow Oblast government have borne fruit,” said the Prime Minister.

“It is understandable that from simple trade we have switched to complicated schemes, primarily the creation of manufacturing cooperation structures. Belarusian technologies are being transferred to the Moscow Oblast,” stated the Belarusian head of government.

In his words, in the near future it may allow reaching the targeted trade volume, although trade growth is not the key goal. It is important to develop manufacturing cooperation between enterprises in Belarus and the Moscow Oblast as vigorously as possible. It will contribute to the creation of new jobs, higher salaries and wellbeing of individuals as a whole.

Belarus and the Moscow Oblast will work out specific avenues of cooperation for individual ministries, said Moscow Oblast Governor Boris Gromov after he met with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky.

“The present visit is very important for us,” said the Governor. He remarked that the sides agreed on how they will approach all the existing issues in the bilateral cooperation. “Apart from the general agreement, two fulfilled program and today’s signing of the third joint program we will sign agreements between ministries, committees of the Moscow Oblast and the Republic of Belarus. Specific areas of efforts inside the ministries of transport, industry, agriculture, civil engineering, property relations, culture, education, ecology will be worked out,” said Boris Gromov.

He stated the sides had reached rather a high level of cooperation in the pre-crisis period. It was testified by the good trade volume. “But we understand that these figures should be considerably higher. There is a will, a desire, and opportunities for it. Businessmen are eager to work together, too,” said the Governor. “I have no doubt that the figures, the scale we talked about are absolutely feasible in the near future. We will strive to reach them,” he said.

Boris Gromov believes that the sides should take on a new approach to cooperation. A sudden jerk is required to improve the quality of the bilateral ties, including cooperation in industry, agribusiness and other areas. The Moscow Oblast Governor suggested that additional matters relating to the energizing of cooperation should be considered at the next session of the joint working group. Experts have been given the relevant instructions already.

“We have kept our priorities regarding Belarus. It is truly so. It is not only up to the Russian Federation government to decide. A lot depends on regional authorities, who are us,” said Boris Gromov.

In 2009 Belarus-Moscow Oblast trade totaled RUB62.1 billion, or USD 1.9 billion (3rd place among Russia’s provinces after the Tyumen Oblast and the city of Moscow). Belarus’ merchandise export totaled USD 1.1 billion (2nd place among Russia’s provinces after the city of Moscow), import - USD 0.7 billion (3rd place among Russia’s provinces after the Tyumen Oblast and the city of Moscow). The trade surplus amounted to USD 376.2 million.

In January 2010 Belarus-Moscow Oblast trade turnover amounted to USD 116 million, 12.1% up on January 2009. Belarus’ export went up by 27.5% while import shrank by 13.4%.

In 2009 Belarus imported 563 kinds of commodities from the Moscow Oblast. The export of Belarusian products to the Moscow Oblast increased in all kinds of consolidated commodity groups.

Cooperation in manufacturing and the creation of joint ventures are some of the fundamental areas of cooperation between Belarus and the Moscow Oblast.

As part of manufacturing cooperation Mogilevliftmash supplies lift components to the Shcherbinka lift plant. In 2009 the Belarusian company supplied RUB42.5 million worth of components, in Q1 2010 – RUB7.3 million worth of components.

In 2009 the Russian company Metrovagonmash assembled special vehicles using MAZ chassis. In January-September 2009 MAZ supplied seven chassis to the tune of RUB5.4 million.

Since 2009 Bobruiskagromash and Mosoblagrosnab have been working together to start assembling forage harvesters at Mosoblagrosnab premises. Spare parts for agricultural machines are supplied to Mosoblagrosnab.

In April 2010 top executives of Bobruiskagromash and Mosoblagrosnab are supposed to meet to discuss bilateral cooperation between the companies, including the implementation of the project to start assembling agricultural machines at Mosoblagrosnab premises.

Mosoblagrosnab has a dealership in the town of Klimovsk in the Moscow oblast. The dealership sells Gomselmash agricultural machines and provides warranty and post-warranty service for Gomselmash machines.

Minsk Motor Plant and the Nogino fuel equipment plant are working to design an electronic-control fuel injection system.

Belkommunmash is interested in supplying the Kolomna-based Mosoblelektrotrans company with bogies without motors. The latter should be used for motor bogies of restored and upgraded tram cars. The assembling degree at the company should increase later on. Belkommunmash is also interested in supplying trolleybuses to the Moscow Oblast.