BELARUS, IRAN TO SPEED UP JOFEYR DEPOSIT DEVELOPMENT
 Belarus expects Iran to take more active steps for implementing joint projects, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said as he met with Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Industry and Mines of Iran, on May 21. According to Sergei Sidorsky, Iran and Belarus should more actively get down to implementing the achieved agreements. “Following an instruction of the President of Belarus, while choosing a partner we chose Iranian business. Which is why we count on the same relations with the Iranian side, in particular, for developing the oil field Jofeyr,” stressed the Prime Minister.
Sergei Sidorsky also reminded, there is an intention to accomplish projects for manufacturing cars in Belarus and for manufacturing trucks in Iran. Several Iranian companies have expressed their desire to partake in developing logistics in Belarus, in particular, in free economic zone Minsk. There is also interest in cooperation for the reconstruction of the National Airport Minsk and the construction of a hotel complex. Construction of a hydropower plant in Grodno is one of the promising major power engineering projects.
The Prime Minister stressed, “It is time to determine the time for implementing projects both in Iran and in Belarus. The Belarusian head of Government also remarked, in May Belarus is ready to invest in the oil field in Iran and is very much interested in accomplishing the project without delays. Sergei Sidorsky assured, the Belarusian government does its best to accomplish all planned projects on time.
All in all, Belarusian-Iranian cooperation has a good base, he underscored.
In turn, Ali-Akbar Mehrabian underlined, the visit of the Iranian delegation to Belarus will give a boost to the implementation of the previously reached agreements. On May 21 Iranian specialists had already held talks with Industry Minister of Belarus Anatoly Rusetsky, had defined impeding factors and problems.
In January-March 2008 Belarus-Iran trade turnover totalled $15.8 million, 30.3% up on the same period of last year. The export amounted to $13.8 million, import — $2 million. Last year Belarus exported to Iran mainly such products as synthetic fibres, rock haulers, potash fertilisers, cord fabrics, machine tools and accessories, bearings and other merchandise. Belarus imported from Iran mainly such products as components for the enterprise for assembling Samand cars, food, plastic products and medical goods.
Iran Khodro has increased its stake in the Belarusian-Iranian joint venture Unison, Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Industry and Mines of Iran, told reporters on May 21. The Iranian company has purchased some part of shares of the joint venture. On May 21 Unison will officially launch the body and paint shops.
Iran Khodro was founded in 1962. Today it is Iran’s biggest producer of cars, buses and vans. The company accounts for 70% of the national output of vehicles. Iran Khodro is a partner of the joint venture Unison which assembles the Samand cars. In 2007, Unison assembled 300 units. The annual output is projected to increase to 60,000 units.
Belorusneft is set to speed up the implementation of a project on development of Jofeyr oil deposit in Iran, Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Industry and Mines of Iran, told reporters on May 21.
“We have agreed upon accelerating the implementation of the oil project in Iran,” Mr. Ali-Akbar Mehrabian said. At the same time he noted that at first the project had to be approved by the Iranian economic commission and assured that it would be done in the near future.
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