Moldova-Belarus business forum held in Chisinau

Chisinau, 19 April /MOLDPRES/- The Belarusian-Moldovan forum of business and interregional cooperation is held in Chisinau today. Participants in the event discuss the economic potential of the two countries and expand cooperation in various fields by signing contracts and agreements. “Today, a new step will be taken to develop our cooperation,” Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Chiril Gaburici said.

“We aim to improve business climate and investment potential. We have agreed to sign agreements and contracts between the two states in various fields of activity. This forum is good cooperation between Moldova and Belarus. In 2017 Belarus ranked 9th among the countries which Moldova develops trade relations. Exports of Moldovan products on the Belarusian market increased by 6.3 per cent, and imports – by 13 per cent. We see an increase in exports in the first two months of the year,” he said.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Rusyi said “all today’s actions are aimed at continuing the relations we have. Moldova is a reliable partner and a good friend in cooperation in various fields. It is important not to stop here and continue. The most important is to complement each other with our products”.

The Belarusian official stressed the priority of successful cooperation between the two states in assembling tractors and trolleybuses, thus confirming the interest in joint assembly of buses.

Gaburici and Rusyi reiterated the importance of signing between the two states of the agreements on liberalization of air transport and road transport of goods, noting that these provisions will rise Moldovan-Belarusian relations to a higher level. According to the minister of economy, the liberalization of transport will allow freight carriers to move freely, without restrictions, and will increase the trade exchange between Moldova and Belarus.

Several contracts and agreements were signed today, including the delivery by Belarus of 500 tractors, 20 sub-assemblies for trolleybuses and 300 wagons.

91 enterprises with Belarusian capital worth 3.78 million lei are operating in Moldova. Foreign trade between Moldova and Belarus amounted to 224.67 million dollars, up by 9.69 per cent in 2017 compared to 2016. Belarus is the second in the CIS market for Moldovan products, and in terms of imports it ranks third.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor M. Jantovan)