In seeking to expand export geography, the Belarusian companies show great interest in cooperation with the far arc countries – in Africa, Middle East and Asia. In order to facilitate the domestic exporters' entering the markets of these countries, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry holds business events, expands its own partner network, including using online tools.
In June – September 2021, the BelCCI signed cooperation agreements with the business unions of South Africa, Thailand, Kenya, inaugurated the Business Council with partners from the Korea International Trade Association, organized online events with Omani and Indonesian businesspeople.
South Africa: expanded relationships of the BelCCI and a joint company
On the 31st of May, during the large-scale Belarusian-African Economic Forum with the participation of the heads of 14 African diplomatic missions and more than 170 Belarusian business community representatives, the Agreement on Cooperation was signed between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI).
The chambers of Belarus and South Africa agreed to develop cooperation in order to increase the efficiency of their assistance to companies and organizations in promoting and developing all kinds of bilateral economic activities, in the opening of joint ventures, information centers and in implementing the commitments focused at the widening of commercial and economic relations of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of South Africa.
A separate article of the Agreement provides for the organization of business missions, B2B negotiations, exhibitions, fairs, seminars, conferences, presentations of economy, export and investment opportunities of both countries.
The first bilateral business meeting was not long in coming. On the 19th of August, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a meeting of the representatives of Belarusian companies with the businessmen from the Republic of South Africa.
The opening address at the meeting was delivered by the BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich. He spoke of the opportunities, activities of the Chamber to promote business contacts of Belarusian companies with potential partners in South Africa and other African states, the priority areas of cooperation with chambers of commerce and industry and business unions in the region.
The current information about doing business in South Africa and trade and economic relations of the two countries were presented by the Senior Councellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of South Africa Maksim Nesterenko.
The South Africa delegation members – Arkadi Gutkin, head of АML Mzanzi Group, a large engineering company in the field of production and sale of equipment and spare parts, and Jimmy Woods, technical director of АML Mzanzi Group and Director of LDA Building Services, made presentations of their companies, expressed the willingness to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with Belarusian engineering enterprises, create joint ventures. Following the addresses and presentations, heads of South African companies held bilateral negotiations with representatives of 20 Belarusian enterprises. The parties discussed further cooperation and partnership development.
Besides, representatives of Mzanzi Group and Belarusian NPO Center used the platform of the meeting to exchange the originals of the Agreement of cooperation and the creation of a joint company in the Republic of South Africa.
The Agreement was signed online in June. It provides for the registration of a joint company NPO-Mzanzi Group. The company will produce certain types of centrifugal processing equipment, non-standardized products and spare parts using the technologies of NPO Center for further promotion of these products in the Republic of South Africa and other countries of the African continent.
Furthermore, the organization of a showroom of the Belarusian manufacturer in South Africa is planned, as well as the opening of a trading house for the Belarusian equipment at the premises of АML Mzanzi Group.
Korea: a new business dialogue platform
The inauguration session of the Belarus-Korea Business Council was held through video conferencing at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on the 8th of July.
The Council was founded in the implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea International Trade Association, signed on the 15th of December, 2020. It is a non-governmental coordination and consultative body designed to render assistance in advancing direct relations between the Belarusian and Korean entrepreneurs and industrial enterprises for facilitating the development of bilateral trade, industrial, technological and investment cooperation.
The main purposes of the functioning of the Council will be the following: to advance stronger commercial ties between business operators and public-private economic cooperation; to address the matters of joint implementation of infrastructure projects and modernization of industry, high-tech cooperation; to encourage broader financing of bilateral business projects; to promote the improvement of the business climate and liberalization of trade and creation of the investment incentives; to encourage the dialogue between the business communities and senior governmental leaders; to support the progress in developing technology sectors and commercialization of innovations; to advance the projects on the digital economy; to promote intellectual property rights protection and their enforcement.
Therefore, the Business Council is a new platform to discuss business matters and strengthen economic, investment and sci-tech cooperation of the two countries. The Council has an open membership consisting of senior representatives of companies, enterprises and organizations that have been maintaining stable relations and contributing to the expansion of Belarus-Korea business and economic bonds as well those that intend to explore the possibilities of doing business and invest in both countries. The Council will meet annually and will be co-chaired by the heads of the BelCCI and KITA.
Participating in the inauguration session were the BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich, KITA Chairman Christopher Koo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Korea Andrei Popkov, representatives of the National Agency of Investment and Privatization, Hi-Tech Park Administration, Great Stone Industrial Park Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Economy Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, Korean Institute for International Economic Policy.
The Belarusian and Korean business was represented by heads and specialists of foreign and marketing departments of some leading companies in the fields of electronics, tool engineering, mechanical engineering, pharmaceutical sector, IT, and other fields of mutual interest.
The session participants discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation development, the promising joint business projects. Presentations of Belarusian and Korean companies were held.
The BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich and KITA Chairman Christopher Koo signed the Protocol on the Establishment of the Belarus-Korea Business Council, which provides the basis for the Council functioning and management.
Thailand: the basis for further initiatives
The Agreement on Cooperation between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Board of Trade of Thailand was signed online on the 15th of June.
The document was signed by the BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich and the Chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand Sanan Angubolkul. Participating in the online signing ceremony were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Thailand concurrently Vladimir Goshin, Honorary Consul of Belarus in Thailand Koranun Sukonritikorn, Honorary Consul of Thailand in Belarus Ivan Chura.
Promoting an idea of widening commercial and economic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Kingdom of Thailand, the BelCCI and the Board of Trade of Thailand agreed to promote and develop all kinds of bilateral economic activities, to be engaged in the organization of business missions, B2B negotiations, exhibitions, fairs, seminars, conferences and other events in both countries, to exchange commercial proposals on trade and economic activities, lists of potential partners interested in bilateral cooperation, information in the field of foreign economic activity, to provide extensive coverage of the activities carried out by the parties to the business circles.
The BelCCI Chairman said that the Agreement was the first step towards further long-term cooperation of the two organizations, the implementation of joint initiatives and projects to unleash the potential of trade and economic cooperation of Belarus and Thailand and promote business networking.
Kenya: cooperation prospects – from agriculture to IT
The Cooperation Agreement between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) was signed by the heads of the two chambers – the BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich and the KNCCI President Richard Ngatia – during a virtual bilateral business meeting on the 15th of July.
Intending to facilitate business contacts between Belarusian and Kenyan entrepreneurs and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry agreed to jointly arrange business missions, exhibitions, fairs, forums, seminars and other joint events, exchange commercial offers and information on trade and economic potential of the two countries, cooperate in the field of international arbitration.
Taking part in the online event were also Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Kenya Pavel Vzyatkin, representatives of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus, the Kenya Investment Authority and more than 50 businessmen of the two countries.
The parties discussed potential opportunities to expand trade and economic cooperation in agriculture, food industry, information technology, education, as well as possibilities to set up joint ventures, deliver Belarusian agricultural products to Kenya, import Kenyan coffee, tea, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, legumes. Kenya presented its capacities as a trade and logistics hub for Belarusian business in East and Central Africa, instruments for financing the export of Belarusian equipment to African countries.
Oman: interest in mutually beneficial partnership
The current state and prospects of Belarusian-Omani trade and economic cooperation were discussed at the Belarus – Oman online business forum, organized by the BelCCI together with its partner, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on the 12th of August.
Participating in the event were the BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich, the Chairman of the Oman CCI Redha Juma Al Saleh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman concurrently Sergey Terentiev, Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of Belarus Vladimir Koltovich, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Alexei Bogdanov, experts from the Belarusian National Agency of Investment and Privatization, Great Stone Industrial Park, Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones of Oman, businesspeople of both countries.
The forum participants discussed the prospects for Belarus-Oman partnership in the fields of engineering, agriculture and food industry, the potential of investment activities, including within the preferential zones in both countries, the mechanisms of business networking promotion offered by chambers of commerce and industry.
The BelCCI Chairman Vladimir Ulakhovich noted that the pandemic and restrictions had made offline business meetings impossible; nevertheless, such an online forum was not less important for business networking, as Belarusian and Omani companies are interested in developing partnerships. "Despite the distance and obstacles, we have positive, fruitful cooperation experience, and there is serious potential in bilateral interaction in various fields – in manufacturing, food production, IT, etc. The BelCCI, together with our partners from the CCI of Oman, is ready to provide all kinds of assistance to promote business contacts, jointly organize business events and participation in exhibitions in both states. The work of the Belarus-Oman Business Council is also very important, and we will have its next meeting in Minsk or Muscat as soon as there is such a possibility," Vladimir Ulakhovich said.
Indonesia: presentations of business opportunities
On the 1st of October, assisted by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a business meeting "Belarus – Indonesia". The event had a hybrid format – it was held both at the BelCCI and online.
The event was attended by the BelCCI Deputy Chairman Denis Meleshkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus concurrently Jose Tavares, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Indonesia Valery Kolesnik, General Director for Minerals and Coal of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Ridwan Jamaluddin, more than 80 businesspeople from both countries.
The participants of the meeting discussed the possibilities to enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the fields of industry, food production and mining. Presentations of business climate and investment potential of Belarus and Indonesia were held.
Both states' diplomatic missions heads confirmed readiness to deepen trade and economic relations across the entire spectrum of areas of mutual interest, in particular to develop such areas, "growth points", as the production and promotion of mining and agricultural machinery and equipment, increasing the share of domestic dairy products in Indonesian market, meeting the demand for the products of the pulp and paper industry, expanding the export of Belarusian services.
Following the addresses and presentations, representatives of Belarusian enterprises got the opportunity to ask questions to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Indonesia Jose Tavares regarding the supplies of domestic products to Indonesian market.
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