NEWS

Today in the Tatarstan Ministry of Industry and Trade, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan Albert Karimov had a meeting with journalists from Russian and Belarusian media, as well as media from the Common State.

A delegation of 22 journalists is visiting Tatarstan as part of a four-day press tour on the topic “Prospects for Economic and Cultural Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Tatarstan”.

Minister Karimov described the industrial profile of the republic, which is determined by such sectors as oil production, petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, electric power, food processing, light and woodworking industries. He also spoke about joint projects in the field of culture.

Belarus is fourth in the list of the largest exporting countries of our republic, being one of the strategic partners of Tatarstan. In 2018, the foreign trade turnover between Tatarstan and Belarus amounted to over US$ 1.19 billion, an increase of 14% compared to 2017.

Belarus is also one of the largest trading partners of Tatarstan: exports to Belarus accounts for 6.5% of the total exports of Tatarstan, and imports, for 5.1%. The basis of the Tatarstan’s exports to Belarus is fuel, crude oil and products of its distillation, which in percentage terms makes up more than 60% of all exports from Tatarstan.

In addition, the Minister answered questions devoted to the development of the mechanical engineering industry, particularly concerning the gas engine fuel market.

In anticipation of the upcoming visit of the Tatarstan’s government delegation to Belarus, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan hosted today a meeting of the Tatarstan-Belarus working group on bilateral cooperation.

The meeting was attended by representatives of major petrochemical enterprises of the two republics and was chaired by Deputy Minister Ildar Mingaleyev.

The parties made sure that they are on the same page about product supplies and mutually beneficial cooperation between such companies as Tatneft and Belarusneft, Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Belshina, Kvart and Mogilevkhimvolokno, and others.

The meeting of the working group was held as part of the Tatarstan Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals Forum’2019, which was attended by the industrial delegation from Belarus comprising more than 30 members.

The main areas of cooperation between Tatarstan and Belarus are engineering products, petrochemicals, and medicines. The foreign trade turnover between the two republics amounted to more than $260 million in the first half of 2019.