Baku and Minsk speak about expanding cooperation against falling goods turnover

The 7th meeting of the intergovernmental Belarus-Azerbaijani commission for trade and economic cooperation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Semashko and the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyubov, was held on 27 August in Minsk,  according to BELTA agency.

The parties discussed the issues of cooperation in various fields, the expansion of

 relations, prospects of cooperation in the field of leasing, supplies of Belarusian equipment to Azerbaijan.

The meeting resulted in signing a protocol  on expansion of cooperation between JSC "Amkodor" and Ganja automobile plant.

Plant  for assemble Belarusian tractors,  able  to produce 800 cars a year  operates now in Ganja. The plant assembles also trucks and MAZ. Last year it assembled 650 vehicle sets. Azerbaijan needs even more automotive, municipal, road-building machinery. For this purpose, it was planned to develop industrial cooperation with "Amkodor".

The parties also intend to intensify cooperation in the field of IT-technologies, space research, nanotechnology and biotechnology. Azerbaijani   shows interest in the Belarusian High Technology Park. 

In 2011, Belarus-Azerbaijan trade totaled more than $ 1 billion (increased by  seven times), including Belarusian export - $ 200 million (increase by 43% compared with the previous year.) The main export to Azerbaijan were parts and accessories  to trucks and tractors, timber.

In 2011 Belarus imported from Azerbaijan crude oil  amounting  $816.4 million, petroleum products - $ 3.9 million, as well as tobacco, fruit and vegetable juices.

Over the first half of 2012, there has been decline in turnover due to the lack of supply of Azerbaijani oil to Belarus, as well as reduction of government orders of  Azerbaijan for  the assemble of MAZ at "Ganja Automobile Plant." As a result, turnover was $ 92.3 million, and decreased compared with the same period of  last year to 84.1%. Exports amounted to $ 85.7 million (decrease by 30.6%), import - $ 6.6 million (decrease by 98.5%.) However, over six months of 2012 almost in all sectors, except machinery and pharmaceutics, provided the increase of exports by 10-44%. The next meeting of the intergovernmental commission will be held in Baku in 2013. -0-