OREANDA-NEWS. July 22, 2011. Amur Oblast invites Belarus to take part in field development, Amur Oblast Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said as he met with Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich in Minsk.

“We suggest participation in the development of phosphate rock deposits in Amur Oblast. This will benefit both Belarus and Amur Oblast. We are ready to run the project together,” Oleg Kozhemyako said.

Amur Oblast is interested in joint projects in agriculture and would like to purchase more Belarusian farm machines, namely, energy efficient tractors, plowing and sowing devices, mini-tractors for farmers, municipal machines. The parties discussed the construction in Amur Oblast of a three-hectare greenhouse using Belarusian technologies, a robot-aided dairy farm, turnkey construction of a pig complex for 24,000 head, supplies of grain drying units. Seed breeding is another promising cooperation avenue.

Oleg Kozhemyako emphasized that all these projects will benefit both Belarus and Russia. This will push up trade by 60-70% at the minimum in 2012. A working group will be set up in Amur Oblast to implement the arrangements.

Mikhail Myasnikovich, in turn, pointed to the significant increase in the trade between Belarus and Amur Oblast, joint production of farm machines. “This visit will give a boost to new projects. We, at the Government, will do our utmost to implement the arrangements,” he said.

In January-May 2011, the trade between Belarus and Amur Oblast totaled USD 30.3 million, up 66.5% over the same period in 2010. The export grew by 69.3%; no import was reported. Belarus’ major exports to Amur Oblast included harvesters (USD 22.8 million), tractors and truck tractors (USD 2.4 million), milk, condensed and dried cream (USD 1.4 million), tires (USD 1.2 million). The export grew thanks to the increased supplies of harvesters (up 1.6 times), tractors and truck tractors (up 3.8 times), tires (up 5 times).

In 2010 the trade amounted to USD 30.4 million, up 8.9 times over 2009; the export made up \\$29.9 million, up 13.6 times.