DUSHANBE, April 2, 2013, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Belarus have agreed to launch a joint venture to assemble Belarusian tractors, Tajik Minister of Agriculture, Qosim Qosimov, told journalists in Dushanbe on April 2 following the 8th meeting of the Tajik-Belarusian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation.
According to him, the assembly enterprise will be introduced into operation in Tajikistan within the next few years.
“We plan to provide with these tractors not only Tajikistan; we also plan to export them to Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries,” Tajik minister said, noting that initial annual capacity of the assembly plant will be 250 units.
“In the next few years, we plan to increase the plant’s annual capacity to 1000 units and even more,” said Qosimov. “For this, investments from the third sides are needed; international financial institutions could invest in that.”
Belarusian Minister of Agriculture and Food, Leonid Zayats, for his part, noted that Tajikistan was significant and reliable partner of Belarus in the Central Asian region.
“Belarus attaches significance to expansion of economic cooperation with Tajikistan,” said Mr. Zayats. “Over the past decade, a two-way trade between our countries has increased several times.”
Co-chaired by Tajik Minister of Agriculture Qosim Qosimov and Belarusian Minister of Agriculture and Food Leonid Zayats, the eighth meeting of the Tajik-Belarusian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation discussed agreements reached between the two nations during the seventh meeting of the commission that was held in Minsk, Belarus on October 21-22, 2010.
The sides also considered issues related to bilateral trade and economic cooperation over the past two years and prospects of further expansion of economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Belarus.
A two-way trade between Tajikistan and Belarus last year reportedly valued at 75.7 million U.S. dollars, which was 12.9 percent more than in 2011. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus estimated at 6.4 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Belarus worth 69.3 million U.S. dollars.
Tajikistan’s exports to Belarus include mainly cotton fiber, primary aluminum and dried fruits. Tajikistan mainly imports agricultural machines, fluorides, sugar, furniture and medicines from Belarus.
