THE ESSENTIAL

In Belarus energy industry investors will be offered taxation preferences, First Vice Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said at the IV international investment forum in Mogilev on October 9. In his words, the government has prepared two new energy industry bills meant to encourage investments into the industry. They grant taxation preferences for up to 7 years. Investors are expected to recoup their money within five years and use the remaining two years to develop their companies, said Vladimir Semashko.

SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF BUSINESS COOPERATION BETWEEN BELARUS AND ST. PETERSBURG

Trade turnover between Belarus and St. Petersburg to reach RUB 30 billion in 2007

The trade turnover between Belarus and St. Petersburg is expected to reach RUB 30 billion in 2007. In 2008, the turnover is planned to be increased to RUB 35-40 billion. Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky stated at the first session of the Council of Business Cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg in Minsk on October 25.

In his words, Belarus is interested in boosting all-round cooperation with St. Petersburg. The Prime Minister also noted that Belarus and St. Petersburg have always had good relations, including in the trade-economic sphere. The fact that the bilateral turnover almost doubled in the last five years bears testimony to that.

This year the turnover between Belarus and St. Petersburg totaled $742.1 million, an increase of 29.3% on the same time last year. Belarusian exports reached $407.5 million, an increase of 22.9%. In 2006, St. Petersburg ranked 4th among Russian regions in the trade with Belarus. The main Belarusian exports are dairy products, furniture, iron bars. St. Petersburg exports to Belarus ferrous scrap metal, hydrocarbons, beer.

Recently the parties have been boosting economic cooperation and opening trade and logistic centers.

Sergei Sidorsky said that in 2006 the programme on the trade-economic, sci-tech and humanitarian cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg was adopted. It stipulates priority areas of the bilateral cooperation. In addition, the Council of Business Cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg also fosters the bilateral cooperation.

St. Petersburg is interested in setting up joint lift manufacture with Belarus, Valentina Matvienko says

St. Petersburg is interested in setting up a joint venture with Belarus to produce lifts, Mayor of St. Petersburg stated at the first session of the Council of Business Cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg in Minsk on October 25.

In her words, St. Petersburg was also ready to consider creation of a joint trolleybus manufacture with Belkommunmash.

According to Valentina Matvienko, in the future the number of joint projects can be increased due to the programme on the trade-economic, sci-tech and humanitarian cooperation between Belarus and St. Petersburg for 2006-2008. “It is important that Belarusian and St. Petersburg government set up proper conditions and prerequisites for boosting relations and implementing joint business projects,” she noted.

The St. Petersburg Mayor also informed about implementation of specific projects by Belarusian and Russian manufacturers. In particular, Power Machines Holding in partnership with BelAZ has launched production of engines. Some projects in power engineering are being developed. According to Valentina Matvienko, the sci-tech potential of Belarus is high enough to launch any innovation project and set up high-tech manufactures.

Valentina Matvienko praised rapid construction of modern public facilities in Belarus such as the National Library for instance. A reminder, on October 25 the St. Petersburg Mayor visited a kindergarten and a secondary school in Minsk and the National Library of Belarus.

St. Petersburg is likely to assemble Belarus’ trolleybuses

St. Petersburg is most likely to set up a joint production of Belarusian trolleybuses, St. Petersburg Mayor told journalists October 25.

According to her, today a Belarusian new generation trolleybus is tested at St. Petersburg busiest routes. As soon as the tests are competed, the two sides will decide upon the joint production. “I find this project promising as the demand for such transport means is high in St. Petersburg as well as in Russia,” Valentina Matvienko noted.

Russia’s Power Machines to partake in tender on equipment supplies for Belarus’ future NPP

The holding company Power Machines (St. Petersburg) will take part in a tender on equipment supplies for the Belarusian future nuclear power plant (NPP), St. Petersburg Mayor Valentina Matvienko told journalists October 25.

“We do not ask for any preferences. Power Machines should offer competitive projects in price and production quality,” the Mayor said. Valentina Matvienko also noted that in May 2007 Belarus and the Russian Export-Import Bank signed a frame agreement on proposing Belarus beneficial financial terms to support export from Russia.

Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky informed that today the two parties agreed upon Power Machines to partake in the tender on equipment supplies for the Belarusian energy system as well as in cooperation with industrial companies of Belarus.

Speaking about cooperation development between the companies of St. Petersburg and Belarus, the Belarusian PM noted that there is a promising project with BelAZ: a dump truck equipped with a St. Petersburg engine is undergoing tests.

Besides, Sergei Sidorsky added that the sides decided to create a centre for microelectronics and instrument making industry. According to him, there are good perspectives to develop industrial cooperation in different areas. All the projects meet the demand of the two economics.

Valentina Matvienko considers that the production cooperation has no alternative. “We should integrate into the world economic systems and develop cooperation. There are no two ways about it”.

St. Petersburg is ready to offer more beneficial conditions for Belarus to use St. Petersburg port

The St. Petersburg port is ready to offer more beneficial conditions for Belarus, Mayor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko told reporters on October 25.

“If Belarus is interested, we are ready to create all conditions to make the port of St. Petersburg one of the ports used by Belarus,” the Mayor said. “We realize that it is business. Nobody can force anyone to choose this or that port. The terms and conditions should be competitive then the business will choose the ports offering more benefits”.

In turn, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky noted that St. Petersburg port was considered as one of the priority ports for dispatching Belarusian exports. He stressed that Belarus has been actively diversifying export supplies. Every year Belarus has been shipping 25 million tonnes of cargo to more than 160 countries worldwide. “This figure obliges us to work with all the ports. It goes without saying that cooperation with Russia is a priority for Belarus and it will be developed,” the Prime Minister said.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

Belorusskaya Niva/Belarusian Cornfield Newspaper

Economy of Belarus/Economika Belarusi Magazine

INTERNET RESOURCES

The national legal Internet portal of the Republic of Belarus

© 2005-2008 Staff of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus
No part of this information may be reproduced in any form without reference
Information support from the Republican Unitary Enterprise Belarusian News Agency

NEWS

Regions reveal Belarus-Russia cooperation potential On October 7, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov and First Deputy Chairman of Government of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov met in the Brest oblast to discuss the issues of further development of the trade and economic relations between Belarus and Russia.

Belarus, Ukraine to set up joint ventures in engineering industry In the near future Belarus and Ukraine intend to set up joint ventures in the engineering industry, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko told reporters after the 15th session of the Belarus-Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation in Kiev on October 7.

Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State Belarus and Russia should coordinate their efforts in the economic area in the conditions of the global financial crisis, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said as he met with Russian Premier Vladimir Putin in the run-up to the session of the Union State Council of Ministers.

Trade between Belarus and Ukraine to exceed $5bln in 2008 In 2008, the trade between Belarus and Ukraine will exceed $5 billion, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said. The First Vice Premier is the head of the Belarusian delegation at the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Belarusian-Ukrainian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation which is being held in Kiev on October 6-7.

Belarus is ready to carry out big projects with participation of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Belarus is ready to carry out big projects with the participation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted during his meeting with Varel Freeman, the EBRD First Vice President.

Many major projects in Belarus are implemented with the participation of Austrian capital and technologies, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov said as he met with Johann Zaks, Director General for Foreign Trade Issues of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour of Austria, co-chairman of the Belarusian-Austrian committee on trade and economic cooperation in Minsk on October 2.

Enterprises producing biofuel will be set up in all the regions of Belarus, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky told reporters.

Belarus downs export oil duty October 1 On October 1, 2008, Belarus will down the crude oil export duty from $495.9 to $372.2 per tonne. The Council of Ministers issued relevant resolution No 1426 of September 27.

Belarusian business and expo centre to open in Kazakhstan A multifunctional trade and logistics centre as well as administration and business and expo centres of the Republic of Belarus will open in Kazakhstan. Their opening was discussed at the fifth session of the Belarusian-Kazakh trade and economic cooperation commission in Astana. The Belarusian delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bambiza, the Kazakh delegation — Emergencies Minister Vladimir Bozhko, the press service of the Foreign Ministry told BelTA.

NEWS ARCHIVE