Minsk Oblast, Sughd Province ready to set up joint companies
Belarus’ Minsk Oblast and Sughd Province of Tajikistan have expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation through setting up joint companies, First Deputy Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Igor Makar said as he met with Governor of Sughd Province Rajabboy Ahmadzoda, BelTA has learned.
“Our future prospects are in setting up joint ventures,” said Igor Makar. “We have modern scientific institutes, a well-developed meat and dairy industry, light industry, and mechanical engineering. We are ready to share this experience to provide heifers for the production and raising of cattle, agricultural and municipal equipment. At the same time, we are interested in supplying dried fruits and nuts from Tajikistan.” Igor Makar is confident that partners will benefit from the experience and technical support of Minsk Oblast in land reclamation in order to master idle land.
Rajabboy Ahmadzoda noted that the region produces cotton and silk, more than 10 kinds of different fruits, vegetables, and berries. The annual harvest reaches almost 1 million tonnes. “We want to buy seed potato from you and learn from your experience in meat and dairy farming and set up a joint venture. You have one thing, we have another. We need to exchange best practices so that everyone benefits," Rajabboy Ahmadzoda said. He suggested supplying fruits and vegetables from Sughd Province directly to Minsk Oblast for conservation or setting up a joint production facility in Tajikistan. The country has the necessary infrastructure, cheap electricity,workforce, while producers from Minsk Oblast can provide high-quality sugar. Tajikistan is also interested in the Belarusian production of linen fabrics and is ready to consider options for joint projects. “We are interested in setting up a joint cotton and knitwear manufacture with our Belarusian friends. We also want to start making outerwear from flax in the future,” the governor of Sughd Province noted.
Joint manufactures are beneficial thanks to the geographical location of the partners. Such products can be in demand in the broad Eurasian market: in Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and China.
The parties noted that such a representative delegation from Tajikistan is visiting Minsk Oblast for the first time, and expressed the hope for the development of contacts between industries. These can be tourism, sport, hunting, forestry, exchange of children's delegations. Cooperation in medicine and pharmaceuticals hold great promise. Every year, Sughd Province imports medicines worth more than $75 million, with the share of Belarusian medicines being small. The parties see the potential not only in increasing the volume of supplies but also in setting up joint manufactures using medicinal herbs which are in abundance in Tajikistan.
A delegation from Tajikistan are scheduled to visit several enterprises in Minsk Oblast, including the Research and Practical Center for Potato and Fruit Production of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Slutsk Meat Processing Plant and Kupalinka apparel manufacturer.
The guests are set to have a number of business meetings and to get familiar with the work of manufacturers of food and non-food products. “The delegation will work not only in Minsk Oblast: they will also travel to Mogilev Oblast, the city of Baranovichi, and will visit Minsk enterprises. “I hope that after summing up the results of the meetings, we will sign a roadmap covering all areas of cooperation,” Igor Makar noted. The delegation will also attend a business forum at the Minsk Office of the BelTPP on 28 November. The Minsk Office at the BelTPP and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sughd Province of Tajikistan are set to sign an agreement on cooperation.
