OREANDA-NEWS. May 06, 2009. Belarus and India should enhance cooperation in the high-tech area, said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Belarus Ramesh Chander, reported the Official website government.by.

“What matters most is to add a high-tech component to our cooperation, as, in our opinion, after the global crisis is over, high technologies will dominate the economy,” the Belarusian head of government said. Belarus and India have great potential for that. Sergei Sidorsky noted that in 2008 the bilateral trade hit the record of US432 million.

At present, a national exhibition of Belarus in India is in preparation. “I think that despite the crisis the work of mixed trade and economic and sci-tech commissions will help significantly expand the bilateral trade in 2009,” he said. It is crucial that the economies of Belarus and India complement each other.

On his part, Ramesh Chander said that Belarus is known in the world for high-technology, high-skilled human resources, well-developed industry. The countries can cooperate in all areas. The relations between Belarus and India are traditionally friendly. Belarus and India have no problems in politics or economy. “We share similar views on all issues on the international political arena,” he said.

In Q1 the trade between Belarus and India was up by 85.9% over the same period last year to US 130.5 million. Export increased by 33% to US 108.5 million, import decreased by 7% to US 22 million. The increase in export in January-March 2009 was due to supplies of potash fertilizers, metal products, artificial fibres, tyres. In 2008 the bilateral trade amounted to US 432 million (236% as against the trade in 2007), Belarusian export to India totaled US315.2 million (309.1%).

Belarus’ major exports are potash fertilizers and also glass fibres, nitrogen fertilizers, tyres, synthetic fibres, rolled steel, cord fabric, machines, bearings, integrated circuits. Belarus imports form India medicines and pharmaceutical substances, natural caoutchouc, tobacco, dish washers, rice, leather, tea, spices, nuts, vegetable oil, cotton yarn and other products.