OREANDA-NEWS. On November 20, 2014 the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus played host to a meeting of Andrey Danikenko, Chairman of the National Union of Milk Producers (SOYUZMOLOKO), with Mikhail Rusy, Vice-Premier of Belarus. Other participants of the talks included Valentin Chekanov, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Belarus, Leonid Marinich, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus, Arkady Salikov, Chairman of the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE), and Oleg Yakubovich, Senior Vice-Chairman of BUCE. The sides discussed trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Russia as well as possible use of exchange auctions as means of increasing export of Belarusian dairy products to the Russian Federation.

In addition, as part of his visit to Minsk, Mr. Danikenko visited BUCE head office. During the talks with BUCE top management, the following issues were examined: current situation on the dairy market of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, practical results of application of Decree No. 191 of the Government of the Republic of Belarus “On the use of the exchange trade mechanism when exporting raw materials and finished products” and participation of SOYUZMOLOKO members in exchange auctions for dairy products. According to Andrey Danilenko, Decree No. 191 helped fuel the buyers' interest in exchange auctions creating prerequisites for effective export sales of dairy products by means of exchange auctions.

Following the meeting, the sides agreed to continue collaboration in compliance with the Partnership Agreement between BUCE and SOYUZMOLOKO in a bid to develop joint measures designed to maintain the price equilibrium on Russia's dairy market through active use of exchange instruments. SOYUZMOLOKO, in its turn, is ready to provide all-round assistance with attraction of Russian milk processing companies to BUCE's trading platform.