Belarus and Poland have increased mutual trade by almost 60% over the last five years, Deputy Economy Minister of Poland Andrzej Dycha said at the Belarusian-Polish Business Forum in Minsk on 3 April, BelTA has learnt.

“We can see a permanent upward trend in the exchange of goods between Belarus and Poland. Over the last five years we have increased the trade by 58%. Belarus is an important partner on the map of Polish interests. It is Poland’s third biggest partner among the CIS countries,” the Deputy Minister noted. Poland’s main exports to Belarus include farm produce and chemical goods. Belarus exports raw material such as natural gas, potash fertilizers, oil, timber, mineral fertilizers. A growth in the trade turnover between the two countries is registered this year.

“Financial backing is an important factor which influences the exchange of goods between our countries. In 2009 the Polish government adopted the program of export promotion. The system of export contracts has been expanded by lending opportunities. From this point of view the Belarusian market is among the priority ones,” Andrzej Dycha noted.

According to the Deputy Minister, Poland is interested in all-round cooperation with Belarus. In his words, the parties should aim their efforts at defining the barriers which hinder cooperation intensification and take measures on their removal. “We believe that the economic cooperation between Belarus and Poland largely depends on the activity of businessmen of the two countries,” he stressed.

Chairman of the Polish-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jozef Lochowski, for his part, noted that the economies of Belarus and Poland do not compete. “They are complementary. Therefore we should promote cooperation and strengthening of economic ties. Earlier no one would believe that a Polish firm could build a hotel in the center of Minsk. Today our entrepreneurs actively invest in Belarus. Last year alone they invested $175 million. They have invested a total of almost $500 million over the period of bilateral cooperation,” he said.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Alexander Guryanov expressed hope that this business forum would give an additional impetus to the renewal or continuation of economic contacts that have existed between the two countries for years. “There is a mutual interest from both Belarus and Poland to take the relations onto a higher level with the emphasis on economic results. Our countries are becoming a link between the two integration associations – the European Union and the Customs Union. We would like to see businessmen of Belarus and Poland use the advantages our neighborhood and these integration associations create to the maximum,” he stressed.

The Belarusian-Polish Business Forum is taking place at the four-star hotel Victoria which project coordinator is Poland’s Unibep from Bielsk Podlaski. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus believes that the construction of the facility is an example of how Belarusian and Polish companies can work jointly and implement such big projects with the financial and organizational support from the two states.


 

Belta