Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 20 / Trend S. Agayeva /
Intensive business contacts are positively affecting the trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan, Belarusian ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolai Paskevich said today.
"A new trend of bilateral cooperation and investment cooperation has been recently gaining momentum," Paskevich said at a news conference on bilateral cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan. "The projects in logistics, trade, catering are being successfully implemented with Azerbaijani capital today."
He added that Azerbaijani investments in Belarus increased eight-fold in 2011 and they are expected to be increased in 2013.
"We plan to hold a business forum with the participation of the economic ministers of the two countries in December and invite Azerbaijani companies to participate in it," the diplomat said.
He stressed that there is a steady growth in non-oil turnover in the trade between Belarus and Azerbaijan.
"As of 2011, non-oil trade turnover totalled $209.4 million with a growth rate of 43 per cent," he said. "A further increase with the potential to reach a growth rate of 20 per cent is expected to occur in 2012. The growth of Azerbaijani imports to Belarus overtakes the growth rate of the Belarusian export to Azerbaijan. Supplies of Azerbaijani goods to Belarus increased 27 per cent for the first nine months of 2012."
He added that industrial cooperation projects have also been developed.
"Besides assembling MTZ tractors, cars and special vehicles, elevators, optical devices, LED lighting, new projects on assembling Belarusian buses, tractors, mounted equipment for tractors, medicaments are traditionally successfully developing," he said.
"They are developed at various stages," Paskevich said.
The cooperation in the area of construction services is actively developing, the diplomat said.
"According to the decision of the Azerbaijani and Belarusian presidents, Belarusian design and construction organisations are involved in implementing a pilot project of constructing residential areas consisting of 45 houses for internally displaced people. The design work has been completed. Construction operations will be launched soon."