About the successes that we managed to achieve the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Poland Pavel Latushko declared:— Certainly, there are definite successes. For the time being distribution network of Belarusian enterprises is widely represented in Poland. Representation offices of the major Belarusian banks dynamically act at the Polish market: Belarusbank, Belvnesheconombank, Belinvestbank, Belpromstroibank. They steadily extend partnership and client base; cooperate with the leading polish and foreign financial institutions on credit lines attraction. Not accidentally Polish corporation of export loans insurance “KUKE” gives very high estimates to professional activity of Belarusian banks in Poland.
It should be noted the work of embassies and the major Belarusian transport enterprises, international shipping company “Mirtrans”, specialized in international transportations by railway, automobile and sea transport on the terms “house-house”. It is their work that trade contracts performance efficiency depends from.
— Enterprises with Belarusian capital were created on the territory of Poland. How much are they efficient?
— For example, JSC “Pronar-MTZ” performs export-import operations in Poland and technical control for mantling and quality of the MTZ tractors supplied for assembly to Poland. 1225 Belarusian tractors had been sold to Poland in the year 2006. Our machines occupy 20–25 percent of the Polish market in this segment. Daughter enterprise “MAZ Auto Poland” deals with freight and bus technique “MAZ” promotion. In 2006 certification of passenger and tourist buses that are in great demand of Polish customers was held. A definite success in Belarusian technical goods promotion in the year 2006 was an exclusive dealer BelAZ in Poland — the company “Polmark-Keltze”. 16 auto cars at amount of 3.5 million dollars were realized. BelAZ technique occupies 96 percent of the Polish market of mine dump truck. Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry renders active assistance in Belarusian goods promotion to the Polish market. Within a year it carries out about 20 economic arrangements. Totally our goods turnover had increased almost in 4 times for 4 years. At that net balance for Belarus stays positive.
From the year 2003 annual increase of Belarusian export to Poland, Belarusian product range extension had been noted. In 2006 supplies amount exceeded 1 billion dollars for the first time, 380 positions of Belarusian products had been sold. Belarusian-Polish turnover along with services amounted to 2 billion 400 million dollars, while Belarus is having 1.5 billion dollars export.
— What is the role of embassy in business relations establishment between our home and Polish enterprises?
— Belarus’ foreign establishments in Poland encourage development of Belarusian distribution network in this country. Advanced direction is creation here trade company “Belneftekhim-Poland” and dealer network OJSC “Amkodor” in 2007. Our priority task is to assist Belarusian enterprises to find creditable partners in Poland.
We assist economic agent market participants to obtain information, organize negotiations and presentations and support participating in exhibitions and so on. The same assistance is rendered to Polish enterprises as well, especially in respect of Belarusian export and investments to our economy, primarily creating new joint companies. The embassy had set a task not to be limited by information-analytical work.
Presentation of definite Belarusian enterprises for target audience is actively implemented.
— How often do Polish businessmen apply for assistance in cooperation with Belarusian enterprises?
— They show significant interest to further cooperation with Belarus. Every day a solemn number of applications from Polish businessmen concerned in business contacts with Belarusian enterprises and investment cooperation enter to embassy commercial and economic service. Polish business circles are interested in cooperation with state as well as with private companies if it is profitable. They note high contractual liability and reliability of Belarusian partners. For the time being the embassy monitors a number of investment offers of the Polish companies that offer to contribute to Belarus’ production sphere, energetics, agriculture, service industry in amount of 500 thousand to 100 million euro. In 2006 Polish investments to Belarusian economy amounted to 61.3 million US dollars that is 2 times as bigger as in the year 2005. An obvious evidence of Polish interest to cooperation with Belarus — about 400 enterprises with Polish capital working in Belarus.
— In what spheres of economy does cooperation between our countries develop a most actively?
— Actually, all over the whole sector: from agriculture to machine construction. At that the cooperation is mutual. Tractors “Belarus” are assembled and sold in Poland, in Belarus — minivans “Lyublin”, Belarusian TV-sets Horizont and Vityaz are issued with direct viewing tubes Thompson produced in Poland. We can give many similar examples. We are interested that they become more. That’s why in our contacts with Polish business we put the main emphasis on investment cooperation. Due to sharp competition at the European Union markets Polish companies start to bring their production lines out the borders. There is a real possibility to attract serious investment to Belarus’ economy as well. Upcoming sectors are residential building, energetics, pharmaceutics, machine construction. Infrastructure and compound technique goods are peculiar business card of the country, which the thing to estimate the level of country development. We plan to demonstrate our business card of and “handle” it to a great number of Polish enterprises in the course of economic exhibition of Belarus in Warsaw.
