OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus suggests stepping up technology exchange in machine-building and oil refinery with Azerbaijan, said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky as he met with Azerbaijan First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyubov on May 5, reported the Official website government.by.

“You have a powerful economy, oil refining industry. Today Belarus is actively working on the extraction of domestic oil; it fruitfully cooperates with Russia, Venezuela and Iran. There are many technologies that can be shared,” the Premier said. It pertains to machine building among others: some Belarusian products (BelAZ) account for 30% of the global market, the country exports machinery to 163 countries, Sergei Sidorsky added.

Belarus has shipped 20 buses to Azerbaijan so far. They successfully passed the necessary tests and received most favourable estimates compared with similar imported buses.

The sides discussed the production of elevators. “We have set up two enterprises in the Russian Federation and we are inviting Azerbaijan to take part in this project as well. But it is hard to choose a partner now, and today we have an opportunity to discuss this issue,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

The sides considered the transport communication between the two countries. “I was saddened by the information that the Azerbaijan air company refused to operate flights between Minsk and Baku because of the global financial crisis. The Belarusian side is ready to do this. We can double the passenger traffic,” Sergei Sidorsky noted.

He also noted that Belarus is ready to expand cooperation related to training of Azerbaijan medical specialists. The contacts in the scientific area are important as well, he added.

Belarus would like to promote logistics and construct production facilities in Azerbaijan, to cooperate on a parity basis. At the same time, the Azerbaijani side has suspended the solution of these problems because of the crisis.

In turn, Yagub Eyubov noted that Belarus has a high development potential in many areas. Azerbaijan may get a lot from Belarus and it does not pertain to the economic area only. “We should build our relations in such a way that could benefit both the sides most,” he underscored.
Belarus and Azerbaijan will set up a joint venture to assemble and sell Belarus tractors - the relevant agreement was signed during the fifth session of the Belarus-Azerbaijan interstate commission on trade and economic cooperation that was held in Minsk on May 5.

Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov told reporters that tractors produced at the joint venture in Azerbaijan are designed to be exported to all the countries where MTZ machinery is in demand and which are geographically close to Azerbaijan. “As for the production volume, it is more than tens and hundreds and it will depend on the demand,” he said.

Andrei Kobyakov reminded that Ganja Automobile Plant already assembles Belarus tractors and MAZ automobiles. More than 1,000 tractors and almost 100 automobiles have been assembled there over the two years.

Talking about the investment in the project, the Vice-Premier specified that Belarus will invest its intellectual potential – technological documents and will supply machine sets, while the partners will be responsible for final products.

The project is mutually beneficial and has good prospects, he said.

The sides also took a decision to create a joint lift assembly facility in Azerbaijan. Some component parts will be made in Belarus, others in Azerbaijan. The sides also discussed the issues of sci-tech and humanitarian cooperation.

Belarus has a great potential in the oil refining industry and “it would be interesting to use it,” First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyubov said.

On May 5 the sides signed five documents: a protocol of the fifth session of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Azeri commission for trade and economic cooperation, a protocol on the exchange of ratification instruments to the friendship and cooperation treaty between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Azerbaijan, an agreement between the Information Ministry of Belarus and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan on cooperation in mass media and information, a programme of cooperation in physical education and sport for 2009-2010 between the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of Belarus and the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sport of Azerbaijan and also a document on setting up a joint venture to assemble and sell Belarus tractors.