Lukashenko believes that Belarus and Kuzbass are capable of significantly increasing trade turnover
Belarus and Kuzbass are capable of significantly increasing trade turnover. This was stated by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on June 23 during a meeting with the governor of the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass of the Russian Federation Ilya Seredyuk, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
The President noted that Belarusian machinery is widely used in the Kemerovo region. At the same time, trade turnover has recently started to decline. Thus, in 2024, Belarus and the Kemerovo region traded for $225 million. For comparison: in 2022, the trade turnover exceeded $614 million.
"Half a billion steadily, I think we can have a trade turnover. And we should not deviate from that. I understand the difficulties and challenges that everyone is talking about today (only the lazy does not talk): here in Russia, both rates and this and that. You know, you can always refer to something, but if we set ourselves the goal of surpassing all this, leveling it, we can do it. If we set the goal of at least half a billion dollars in trade turnover with Kuzbass," - said Alexander Lukashenko.
In the Kemerovo region, in particular, BELAZ dump trucks are in demand. In a sense, Kuzbass is even a kind of testing ground for Belarusian machinery: the most advanced samples go to this region. Belarus is ready to expand supplies of passenger, agricultural, and municipal machinery.
"But there is a problem that we need to solve together. These are multi-brand centers that have been created in Kuzbass. All machinery is represented there: both MAZ, MTZ, and Belkommunmash, as well as agricultural trailer machinery. We are ready to cooperate more widely through you with the region where Kuzbass is located. This is practically half of Siberia. Densely populated Siberia. Let's think together about how to engage this center in such a way that it increases its volumes. We are ready for this," - emphasized the Belarusian leader.
The head of state also noted that Belarus is ready to provide partners with certain preferences, for example, to sell machinery on lease. "The only thing we need in this regard is guarantees. Guarantees are fair. So that we supply on lease - and payment is made. Because we lost tens of millions of dollars in Russia when we cooperated without guarantees with unknown companies. They collapsed, left, and then the attorneys general of Russia and Belarus (thanks to the prosecutor's office of Russia) searched for these people all over Russia to hold them accountable. This is not the way. Therefore, we need guarantees," - said the President.
Separately, Alexander Lukashenko touched on the supplies of agricultural products. Belarus has always supplied these goods to the Kemerovo region in one volume or another.
"If this suits you, we are ready to work with you in the field of seed production, breeding livestock, and other areas, including potato growing (we have a whole institute, and we work well on seeds and new varieties of any crops). In general, the range of relations is huge. If we are able to lend a shoulder to your region in something, we are always ready to do it," - concluded the head of state.