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strategic trade partner for Ukraine, namely the fifth largest trade partners in the world.
There are all grounds for the Ukraine-Belarus trade to increase to $10bn,
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said when speaking at the 1st Forum of Regions of Ukraine and Belarus in Gomel on 26 October, BelTA has learned. Poroshenko expressed the hope that next year the trade between the countries will be no less than $7bn.
France seeks to double trade with Belarus within five years , Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, told reporters on 26 October. Now Belarus-France trade is estimated at $350mn.
Belarus and Egypt intend to raise the bilateral trade volume past $100mn this year . Ambassador of Belarus to Egypt Sergei Rachkov made the statement in an interview with Daily News Egypt. Belarus-Egypt trade rose by 68.5% to $97.5mn in 2017 in the wake of the Belarus president's visit to Egypt. In January-July 2018 the trade turnover totalled $73mn, 49.3% up from the same period of last year. Belarusian exports to Egypt are tractors, trucks, tires, metal products, optical products, pumps, x-ray equipment, petrochemical and woodworking products. The main imports from Egypt are citrus fruits, fresh, frozen, and tinned vegetables and fruits, herbs used in perfumery and pharmaceutics, medications, tea, coffee, outerwear, and textiles. Consumer-grade electric heaters, electric stoves, lighting equipment, plastic goods, paints and varnishes, and furniture have been recently added to the choice of imports from Egypt.
Belarus and Kazakhstan are on course to see $1bn of mutual trade turnover by the end of 2018 , Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Rumas said during a meeting with Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belarus Yermukhamet Yertysbayev, BelTA reports. Sergei Rumas stressed that Kazakhstan is a strategic partner for Belarus. “In January-August, the trade amounted to $610mn, which was up 40% over the same period a year prior. We in no way should slow down. We should aim to hit $1bn in bilateral trade this year,” the prime minister said. Yertysbayev highlighted the high level of interregional relations between the two countries. The Belarusian machinery assembly facilities in Kazakhstan contribute to the economic cooperation. “Trade volumes are impressive, and the prospects are very good,” he added. The issues of the development of bilateral relations will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the Belarus-Kazakhstan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. The Belarusian part of the commission is headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Turchin.
Belarus hopes that all artificial barriers for its products in the Russian market will be lifted , the nation's Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Zayats said at the fifth forum of the regions of Russia and Belarus on October 12. Over the past years, Russia's agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor repeatedly imposed sanctions on Belarusian exporters of diary and meat products. Specifically, Moscow urged Minsk to stop illegal re-exporting of Western and Ukrainian products banned in Russia. Recently, Russia was considering a ban on the imports of milk, cream, whey and other dairy products from Belarus, however refused to do it without clear explanations of the move.
Belarus and Russia have inked contracts for $500mn during the fifth
19 BELARUS Country Report November 2018 www.intellinews.com