19/7 Tass 384
MINSK, July 19 (Itar-Tass) —— Belarus and the Russian Amur region plan to enlarge bilateral trade by no less than 60-70% in 2012, Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich and Amur Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said on Tuesday.
“Our plans must bring results. We plan to enlarge bilateral trade by no less than 60-70% in 2012,” Kozhemyako said.
The Amur region would like to buy substantial amounts of Belarusian machines, among them tractors and public utility vehicles, he said. It is also planned to implement a number of joint projects. There is a preliminary agreement on opening automated milk farms in the Amur region with the help of Belarusian machines and technologies. It is also planned to build a farm for 24,000 pigs. A number of highly productive brands of Belarusian corn and wheat will be adjusted to the conditions of the Amur region.
The Amur region offers Belarusian partners to consider the joint development of a mineral field near the Baikal-Amur railroad, he said.
“Good contacts were established a short time ago, but trade grew already and joint production of agricultural machinery began,” Myasnikovich said. “We are considering new interesting projects. The government is creating comfortable conditions for the fulfillment of bilateral agreements,” he noted.
Trade between Belarus and the Amur region stood at $30.4 million in 2010, and the target was passed in late May 2011.
Earlier in the day Kozhemyako met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The latter said he wanted to develop relations with Russia.
“I reaffirm my adherence to the relations with Russia. You must not think that Belarus is a far-away country alien to you,” he told the Amur governor.
The strategy of cooperation with Russian regions has brought good results, Lukashenko said, adding that Belarus was developing similar relations with Ukrainian regions.
A lot has been done for integration in the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, Lukashenko said. “Results are rather good. I am confident that the creation of the common economic space on January 1 will restore the economic unity,” he said.