OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2009. The governmental delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) led by Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov will visit Gomel on January 21.

The Tatarian delegation will include heads of the ministries and governmental departments of Tatarstan including Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Agriculture and Food Marat Akhmetov.

The Tatarian delegation will visit Gomselmash to discuss the creation of a joint assembly production of Belarusian combine harvesters in Tatarstan. The combine harvesters are expected to be assembled in the Tatelectromash Company (Naberezhnye Chelny).

Members of the Tatarian delegation are expected to meet with the leadership of the Gomel oblast. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Tatarstan and Gomselmash are expected to sign the agreement on supplies of agricultural machinery in 2009-2010.

Over the last five years, Tatarstan has been one of the main trade partners of the Russian Federation for Gomselmash. In 2007, Gomselmash supplied 109 combiner harvesters to Tatarstan. In 2008, the Belarusian company doubled its supplies to that republic of the Russian Federation. Tatarstan has a powerful servicing base for Gomselmash machinery. According to specialists, the new joint assembly production will allow Belarus and Tatarstan to intensify the bilateral business cooperation.

On January 21, Rustam Minnikhanov is expected to leave Gomel for Minsk to meet with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky. After the meeting the parties are supposed to ink an intergovernmental agreement on the protocol of measures meant to promote Belarus-Tatarstan cooperation in 2009-2010. The document will outline joint actions aimed at expanding and enhancing the bilateral contacts, including the encouragement of manufacturing and technological cooperation schemes.

In January-November 2008 the trade between Belarus and Tatarstan totalled RUB32.8 billion (USD 1,261.1 million), 53.8% up on the same period of 2007. The export amounted to RUB8.2 billion (USD 315.4 million), 47.9% up, while the import went up by 55.9% to make up RUB24.6 billion (USD 945.7 million). The foreign trade deficit stands at RUB16.4 billion (USD 630.3 million). Belarus’ main exports to Tatarstan are tractors, cord materials for machines, parts and accessories for automobiles and tractors, air pumps, twisted wire, wire ropes, ferrous metal cables, tyres, agricultural and road construction machines. In turn, Belarus imported oil, inorganic chemistry products, synthetic rubbers, engines and power generators, parts and accessories for automobiles and tractors, trucks.