President RB Murtaza Rakhimov has met with Byelorussian Minister of architecture and building

On June 30 President RB Murtaza Rakhimov has held a meeting with Minister of architecture and building of Republic of Belarus Alexander Seleznev, who arrived in Ufa at the head of official delegation of Byelorussia to discuss the issues of bilateral cooperation development with Bashkortostan, in the Republic House.

The matter of the talk was the prospects of further consolidation of trade-economic relations. President RB mentioned there was a large potential for expansion of cooperation between Bashkortostan and Belarus.

“In spite of the annual growth of mutual trade turnover the level of our economic relations remains rather low and cooperation is restricted just to trade so we have to establish large joint-ventures and develop mutually beneficial investment projects” – Murtaza Rakhimov underscored.

Alexander Seleznev answered Bashkortostan created comfortable conditions for cooperation in different spheres of economic and in the nearest future they would work up a series of measures in order to increaser our trade turnover up to 1 billion dollars.

“We determined the ways and directions for our cooperation and intend to open several joint ventures on assemblage of tractors, frontlifts and production of building materials for your low building” – he said.

Cooperation in cultural and humanitarian spheres was also under discussion. Alexander Seleznev has mentioned Bashkortostan pays serious attention to preservation and development of Byelorussian traditions and culture.

“I am pleased that Byelorussian diaspora here speaks native language and has all conditions to study Byelorussian language. It is good that Byelorussian schools work in Bashkortostan and local Byelorussians regularly hold traditional national holidays and festivals” – Alexander Seleznev stated.

Minister of building, architecture and transport RB Ravil Ibatullin, the representative of Russian Ministry of foreign affairs in Ufa Zinnur Mardanov, the head of information and external economic activity department of Byelorussian Ministry of architecture and building Valerie Koshlov, the head of external economic activity of Byelorussian Ministry of industry Dmitry Korchik and the chief of Byelorussian Embassy office in Ufa Oleg Isaev have taken part in the meeting too.

In 2008 the external trade turnover between Bashkortostan and Byelorussia made up 94,7 million USD. Byelorussia stands on the 17th place in the overall volume of trade turnover RB with 1,0%-share and on the fourth place – with CIS countries with 5,6%-share. Oil-chemical output is the main export position RB to Belarus and Belarus supplies Bashkortostan with consumer goods.