Republic
19.03.2007
Moscow remains a leading Russian region in the trade turnover with Belarus. In 2006, the turnover with the Russian capital accounted for 18.8% of the total Belarusian turnover with Russia, exports to Moscow accounted for 33.8% of Belarusian exports to the Russian Federation, BelTA learnt in the department for Russian regions of the Belarusian foreign ministry.
The trade turnover between Belarus and Moscow last year reached $3,7 billion with exports totaling $2,3 billion (to compare: Belarusian exports to six federal districts of Russia but for Central district made up $2,8 billion).
On the whole, the foreign ministry of Belarus put a positive value on the dynamics of the Belarusian cooperation with Russian regions. In 2006, Belarusian-Russian regional cooperation significantly intensified. Thus, prime minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorskiy paid visits to Altai krai, Vologda, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Novgorod oblasts, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Heads of Altai and Stavropol krais, Volgograd, Kursk, Kamchatka, Yaroslavl oblasts, Moscow visited Belarus. Days of Belarus in Moscow oblast and Days of North-West Federal District of Russia in Belarus were held.
Following the bilateral events the sides signed four cooperation agreements, 12 documents on development of mutually beneficial links.
Certain agreements have been reached with the leaders of the Russian regions to expand the industrial cooperation, create new joint productions strengthen interaction between the chambers of commerce and industry of Belarus and Russian regions and to intensify the exhibition activities.
The agencies in charge of the implementation of the agreements are the councils, joint commissions and working groups for cooperation with Russian regions. In 2006, the business cooperation council of the Republic of Belarus and Moscow held four sessions. The session were also held by the business cooperation council of the Republic of Belarus and Nizhniy Novgorod oblast, working group for cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and Moscow oblast, joint working group of the Republic of Belarus and Kursk oblast.
With a view to furthering the regional development the strategies have been drawn up to promote Belarusian exports to federal districts of Russia for 2006-2010, notes the Russian regions department of the foreign ministry of Belarus.