Lukashenko expects to increase Belarus’ trade with Kemerovo Region to $0.5bn
During his today’s meeting with Ilya Seredyuk, the Governor of the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass of the Russian Federation, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed his belief that the trade volume between Belarus and the Kemerovo Region could reach $0.5bn
The Belarusian leader specifically pointed out that the mutual trade volume between Belarus and the Kemerovo Region has decreased compared to the peak levels of previous years, “But I think that maintaining a trade turnover of $0.5bn is achievable and should be a priority. I understand the difficulties and challenges that everyone is talking about today. You know, there is always something to refer to. But if we aim to overcome these obstacles, we can definitely succeed.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned that Kuzbass serves as a testing site for Belarusian BelAZ trucks and other equipment provided to the region, “We deliver the latest BelAZ vehicles to your coal mines and mining firms, where they are being tested, including unmanned and gas-powered models. We can liaise with you in this regard.”
During the meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled his visit to the Russian region in the late 1990s and his meeting with the then head of the region, Aman Tuleyev, “We discussed our problems quite frankly. We were very friendly, finding common ground on many topics. We talked about the high prices of the equipment we supplied, and he mentioned that it was quite costly, being twice as expensive for them as in Belarus. I responded that this issue could be resolved quite easily, saying that I would provide him with equipment at Belarusian prices, based on his orders, enabling him to sell it to whoever he chooses, keeping the profit from the sales. However, I expect no complaints about this. I don’t believe we’ve completely settled these issues today; intermediaries still exist, but they shouldn’t be dishonest. You know where their profits go, and they often impose excessive charges. If there’s a need for it (we maintain strict control over prices, and all major companies trading with Kuzbass are state-owned and fully regulated, understanding the goals of our partnership), we can manage this if you can handle it from your side.”
