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Belarus to invest in two engineering companies in Serbia

 

Belarus will invest in two engineering companies in Serbia. An agreement to this effect was reached at a meeting between Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Pyotr Prakapovich and Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on May 16.

"The establishment of joint enterprises is a very promising area for our countries," the press office of the Belarusian Council of Ministers quoted Mr. Prakapovich as saying.

The Belarusian vice premier said that an agreement had also been reached to carry out "many" projects in Belarus. "That will create new jobs both in Serbia and Belarus," he said.

Mr. Prakapovich noted "big" opportunities for economic cooperation between Belarus and Serbia. "In 2012, trade between the two countries totaled $150 million, but our task is to ensure that this figure rises manifold in the next few years," he said. "The results of our work in the first three months of this year prove that it is possible."

Bilateral trade increased by almost 40 percent in January through March 2013 compared with the same period last year, Mr. Prakapovich explained.

"We view Serbia as an opportunity to promote our products in not only the Serbian market but also in the entire Balkan region," he said, adding that Minsk was ready to create favorable conditions for Serbian businesses willing to sell their goods in Belarus and elsewhere in the Customs Union.

Mr. Vucic, in his turn, said that mutual investments had been discussed at the meeting. He referred to ties between AAT Amkador, a Minsk-based company that manufactures municipal, road construction and other machinery, and Serbian companies as a good example of such cooperation. "Other plants could solve some problems the same way, which would make it possible to create new jobs in the future," he said.

Mr. Vucic suggested that more Serbian construction companies should be involved in projects in Belarus.

He added that an agreement had been reached on cooperation between Belarusian Steel Works and Zelezara Smederevo, Serbia's sole operating steel mill. //BelaPAN