Belarus is interested in projects aiming to accelerate socio-economic development within Sakhalin. Mr. Lukashenko believes that 29 projects have already been planned and assures our partners in the Russian region that there won’t be any difficulties in working together. He emphasised to Mr. Kozhemyako, “Primarily state-run Belarusian companies will help implement these projects, under state patronage. The guarantees of our Government mean a great deal in this regard.”
Industrial co-operation, agriculture, and the construction sphere are priority avenues of interaction. According to the Head of State, Belarus is ready to help the Sakhalin Region modernise its agribusiness. Belarusian companies are also ready to take an active part in the construction of motorways and logistics centres in the Sakhalin Region. Collaboration in the sphere of passenger transport, including vehicles powered by gas engines, looks promising. The Sakhalin Region can count on Belarusian technologies, equipment, machinery, projects and engineering services, as well as consumer goods, for implementing programmes.
Mr. Lukashenko congratulated Mr. Kozhemyako on winning the election for governorship. In the past, Mr. Kozhemyako has held the post of Governor of the Amur Region, which has become a leading trade partner of Belarus in the Far East Federal District over the last three years. Mr. Lukashenko is confident that successful co-operation with Belarus will promote trade with Sakhalin. For now, Belarus’ trade with the Sakhalin Region is insignificant — between $2 million and $4 million per annum. Geographical distance is a factor, as are complicated logistics and difficult climatic conditions. Nevertheless, there is interest in stepping up interaction, as confirmed by the fact that an intergovernmental agreement on co-operation with the Sakhalin Region was signed during the second Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia in Sochi.
By Alexander Pimenov
