OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2010. Belarus invites India to partake in the upgrading of its energy system, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Belarus Ramesh Chander in Minsk. Ramesh Chander completes his ambassador’s mission in Belarus.

“We will continue reforming our energy system and invite the Indian capital to take part in the upgrading of our energy capacities,” Sergei Sidorsky said addressing the Ambassador.

According to the Premier, Belarus and India have laid a good foundation for long-term cooperation. “It, first of all, concerns the deliveries of dump trucks and BelAZ vehicles to India. I am confident that our large-scale enterprise Belshina will also expand its presence on the Indian market,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

According to the Belarusian head of Government, the countries have been able to make considerable progress in credit and investment partnership. He cited Grodno CHP Plant No 2 as an example of successful bilateral cooperation. “We have agreed that this is a very good beginning of the Indian investment flow to the energy sector of Belarus,” Sergei Sidorsky noted. He mentioned a large-scale program approved by the Government on the construction of new hydropower stations in Belarus. “Indian specialists have a rich experience in this area, and we invite them to participate in the projects of our hydropower engineering sector,” he added.

Belarus is also interested in expanding cooperation with India in the pharmaceutical industry as India is a recognized leader in this sector. The Belarusian side would like to see Indian companies present in the Belarusian market. “We are interested to have pharmaceutical products from India present in our market not only by means of contracts. We would like to create joint ventures in Belarus with participation of Indian companies,” the Prime Minister said. For India Belarus represents the gateway to the market of the Customs Union, and this is the market of 170 million people. “Through Belarus you will be able to trade on the entire customs territory,” he added. Sergei Sidorsky also noted that the development program of the pharmaceutical industry of Belarus for 2011-2015 provides for a possibility of Indian companies being present in Belarus.

Sergei Sidorsky assured that the Belarusian side will do its utmost to implement projects to create joint ventures with India, an agreement on which was reached during the visit of the Belarusian governmental delegation to India. “I can assure you that we will build those joint ventures, which we have agreed, across a broad range of industries from machinery, machine tools to agricultural machinery,” he said.

Belarus is also ready for active negotiations with India on deliveries of potash fertilizers. “This concerns not only the supply of potash fertilizers but also the broad range of issues that you have identified during your diplomatic mission in our country,” Sergei Sidorsky said when addressing the Ambassador.

When analyzing the work of the Ambassador in Belarus, Sergei Sidorsky stressed that in a relatively short period of time he has done a lot to promote cooperation between the two countries. “We highly appreciate the friendly relations with India, and we consider them as a priority,” he said. According to the Prime Minister, even in the crisis the two countries managed to maintain trade turnover. “India has remained one of the countries with which the trade has not declined,” he stressed. The Presidents set the task to reach the bilateral trade of USD 500 million in 2010. “We have reached USD 600 million,” said the Prime Minister. He expressed confidence that Belarus and India are on the right path of cooperation.

Belarus and India have a big potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Belarus Ramesh Chander said as he met with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky.

According to the diplomat, the two countries were able to reach the preset goals in the trade and economic relations. “We can do a lot more, we have a potential for it,” he believes.

Ramesh Chander expressed confidence that Belarus and India have chosen the right way to develop cooperation and will be able to draw the positions closer in the trade, economic and political relations.

He stressed that Belarus’ technological sector is well known in India. “Our country has already made a long way in this direction. I believe that it is this sector where two countries have great prospects for cooperation,” he noted and added that it, first of all, concerns the exchange of technologies, construction of infrastructure as well as deliveries of the Belarusian heavy and mining equipment to India. The Ambassador took note of the large Belarusian companies such as Amkodor and BelAZ which are present on the Indian market. They go into competition with Indian companies, but this competition is productive. He also expressed confidence in Belarus-India constructive and fruitful cooperation in the military and technical sector. Summarizing the results of his activity in Belarus, Ramesh Chander said he completes his diplomatic mission in Belarus because of his retirement age, not because all the issues in the bilateral relations have been settled.