Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 22 / Trend /
Belarus plans to set up new assembly enterprises in Azerbaijan, said Belarus First Vice Premier Vladimir Semashko as he met with First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov in Minsk on 22 October, BELTA news agency reported.
Belarus and Azerbaijan have made the transition to new forms and mechanisms in the mutual relations. Apart from commodity trade the two countries have set up enterprises to assemble Belarusian tractors and automobiles and are discussing the possibility of assembling special vehicles in Azerbaijan, said Vladimir Semashko.
MAZ chassis can be used to manufacture automobile cranes, concrete mixers, other machines. There are also plans to sell more agricultural machines to Azerbaijan. Belarusian producers plan to set up joint enterprises in Azerbaijan to assemble elevators and household appliances. At present Azerbaijan is developing fast. Construction in Baku is in full swing. There are sources to finance programs. Therefore, Belarus offers its road construction machines, elevators and other equipment to Azerbaijan.
The Belarus First Vice Premier said he was confident that the trade between the two countries will grow several times over in the future.
In 2008 Belarus-Azerbaijan trade totaled $117.7 million, 25.9% up on 2007. Belarus exported $105.4 million worth of commodities to Azerbaijan (22% up) and imported $6.2 million worth of commodities (90.9% up). The foreign trade surplus reached $99.2 million. In 2008 the export of services amounted to $4.4 million (80.9% up), import - $1.6 million (20.4% up). The trade surplus reached $2.8 million.
In January-August 2009 the bilateral trade amounted to $71.5 million (90.4% as against the same period of last year). Belarus' export totaled $68.861 million (91.4%), import - $2.6 million (70.1%).
Belarus mainly exports mechanical engineering products (30% of the total export in cost terms) to Azerbaijan as well as food (12%), woodworking industry products (7%), construction industry products (ceramic tiles, polished glass, glassware - 7%), medications (4%), petrochemical products (tires, ethylene polymer - 2.5%).
Import from Azerbaijan is dominated by agricultural products and raw materials, including fruit and vegetable juices, nuts, raw tobacco, petrochemical products, including fabric made of synthesized multifilament yarn, acyclic spirits, aluminum oxides and hydroxides.
Belarus-Azerbaijan trade and economic cooperation is not limited to export and import operations and includes manufacturing cooperation. Azerbaijan assembles Belarusian tractors, trucks, optical equipment, considers the possibility of assembling automobile cranes, elevators, agricultural machines, mirror sheets.