Belarus and Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous Area have significant prospects for cooperation in industry, food, and tourism, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich said as he met with Governor Vladislav Kuznetsov of the Russian Federation’s Chukotka Autonomous Area on 30 March.
In Natalya Petkevich’s view, the fact that the regional delegation came with such a broad team indicates that any agreements reached between the parties stand a very good chance of being successful.
“We worked out all the key, conceptual issues with the Head of state. The head of state gave instructions for the Government to ensure practical implementation of all of this. So our task is to translate all of this into concrete agreements within a short period of time,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
According to her, Belarus always prepares a pool of export offerings that it can propose to partners. “I think it is very important to look deeper and go beyond this pool,” said Natalya Petkevich. “We are ready to consider all matters.”
Despite Russia’s advanced industrial base, Belarus and Chukotka have matters to discuss when it comes to machinery and engineering, she said. “Especially since we offer not just the equipment itself, we are ready to adapt it to your conditions and your needs, with full-service maintenance. Alongside this, we also offer financing mechanisms, taking into account the large government programs being implemented for housing and utilities development, equipment, elevators, and transformer components. These too we can offer you,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
At the same time, she noted, Belarusian food products are relevant and in demand anywhere in the world. “This is something we can be proud of. I think we can find common ground here,” she stressed.
Given that Sports Minister Sergei Kovalchuk oversees relations between Belarus and the Chukotka Autonomous Area, it would be appropriate to discuss prospects in culture, humanitarian cooperation, and, of course, tourism, the Deputy Prime Minister added.
“I think there are many topics we can discuss. I am confident that we must build on this,” Natalya Petkevich noted. “We very much want to establish close relations.”
