Belarus eager to bolster cooperation with Bulgaria

MINSK, 29 March (BelTA) – Belarus is ready to bolster and advance cooperation with Bulgaria. The statement was made by Mr Vladimir Ulakhovich, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the business matchmaking session held in Minsk on 29 March for representatives of Belarusian and Bulgarian companies, BelTA has learned.

According to the source, Belarus-Bulgaria cooperation looks promising in mechanical engineering, agriculture, and information technologies. “Belarus has a very advantageous position in information technologies. The forum in Singapore demonstrated that such Belarusian services are in demand and that Belarus is now a global player in this field. Meanwhile, the country is ready to enhance and develop cooperation with Bulgaria in all avenues. Besides, Bulgarian business is interested in the new markets and new opportunities that Belarus can offer,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vladimir Ulakhovich stressed that Belarus provides profitable business operation terms and business establishment terms to foreign partners. The country has Europe’s lowest tax on corporate earnings. “As part of the Customs Union Belarus offers access to the huge common market of the three countries – Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. In essence the country has a border with the European Union near Brest and Grodno while the next border is with China because there are no customs restrictions or barriers among the Customs Union member states. The fact opens up immense opportunities for partners,” believes the representative of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Belarus’ advantages include the possibility of employing highly qualified labor resources, state stability, transparency of the state policy, and no corruption.

The Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also said that 29 March was the first day Belarus had received such a large Bulgarian business delegation in the last seven years. “Unfortunately, Eastern Europe countries have been aiming for Western partners for a long time, but now it is necessary to find new markets in order to move forward. Belarus is a very valuable and important partner in this regard,” he stressed. “The connections that Belarus and Bulgaria had in the Soviet times have been lost to a large degree while the potential Bulgarian partners, who are gathered for today’s meeting, are trying to revive old contacts”.

According to Vladimir Ulakhovich, Bulgaria is an interesting and important partner for Belarus. “Apart from that, our country is always open to investments and cooperation,” he emphasized.

Speaking about cooperation between chambers of commerce and industry, the Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry remarked that the avenue of cooperation advances at a moderate pace. “In 1995 an agreement was signed with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2007 an agreement was signed with the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, but unfortunately, we have not welcomed many guests from Bulgaria over the years. Meanwhile, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to provide any support to partners from Bulgaria,” said Vladimir Ulakhovich.

The business matchmaking session arranged by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 29 March gathered representatives of about 40 Belarusian companies. Those are OAO Amkodor, SOOO Metal Chain Factory, OAO BelVEB Bank, OOO Modern Communication Technologies, OOO Top Tour, PRUP Minsk Electrotechnical Plant named after V.I. Kozlov, the investment company Enter and other ones.

The Bulgarian side was represented by top managers and representatives of 12 companies, including the company Remotex-Radnevo. The company intends to hold negotiations with Belarusian companies, which are interested in buying overhead electric hoists. The company Eco Agro is a leading agricultural company in northeastern Bulgaria and suggests establishing mutually beneficial business contacts with the Belarusian companies that trade in agricultural products and with wholesale food traders.

The company International Power Supply seeks partners in Belarus and is interested in holding negotiations with mobile carriers and the companies that service telecommunication networks, Belarusian companies that specialize in renewable energy sources and autonomous power supply systems. Other members of the Bulgarian delegation are expected to hold talks with Belarusian enterprises and companies to discuss the production of equipment and components for telecommunications, telecommunication security solutions, metalworking, civil engineering, tourism, consulting, and corporate law.