Pakistan interested in joint projects with Belarus

VITEBSK, 2 August (BelTA) - Pakistan is interested in increasing import of Belarus-made agricultural equipment and would like to create a textile joint venture, Mohammad Ilyas Ghauri, Minister Trade, Head of the Trade Representative Office of the Embassy of Pakistan in Belarus and Russia, said at a meeting with foreign trade experts at the Vitebsk office of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on 2 August, BelTA has learnt. Pakistan is an agricultural country. The demand for up-to-date agricultural machinery is very high there. That is why Pakistan is interested in Belarusian agricultural machinery, particularly tractors and spare parts for them, Mr Ghauri said. Work is currently underway on creating a joint venture with Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ trademark). However, Mohammad Ilyas Ghauri expressed hope that the products of Vitebsk Tractor Spare Parts Plant, which is part of MTZ, will be in demand too. According to Deputy Commercial Director of Vitebsk Tractor Spare Parts Plant Oleg Solovyov, the plant exports 35% of its output. In H1 2012 Vitebsk Tractor Spare Parts Plant exported $100,000 worth of products to Pakistan. “This sum could be bigger if the Pakistani partners worked directly with the Belarusian producer rather than through intermediaries in the Russian Federation,” Oleg Solovyov said. “I see a huge potential for business relations between this company and Pakistani partners,” Mohammad Ilyas Ghauri said and invited the Vitebsk plant to participate in an exhibition in Pakistan and meet with potential buyers of spare parts. The Pakistani official also spoke on the interest of the Pakistani producers in the creation of a joint venture in Vitebsk Oblast. “Pakistani textile export averages $12 billion. However, export to Europe has decreased in recent years. Belarus could be the gateway to Europe for Pakistani textile producers,” Mohammad Ilyas Ghauri underlined. The Vitebsk office of the BCCI together with the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee will submit several draft proposals to potential investors regarding the creation of the textile joint venture and the ways of boosting foreign trade.

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