Belarus and CIS countries and Georgia

The development of bilateral cooperation with the CIS member states is one of the priorities of the foreign policy and foreign economic relations of the Republic of Belarus. These priorities are based on a number of historical, economic, political and cultural factors.

Belarus is interested in building equal and mutually beneficial relations with the CIS countries. Trade and economic cooperation are the most important spheres of this activity. In 2012 the turnover with the CIS countries (excluding Russia) made up US$  9984 million.
 
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Moldova are our major trade partners accounting for 95.6 per cent of Belarusian export to CIS region (excluding Russia).
 
In 2012 Ukraine was the third important economic partner of Belarus. The Republic of Belarus is traditionally among the top five economic partners of Ukraine.
 
Diplomatic relations between two countries were established on December 27, 1991. The Belarusian embassy in Ukraine has been functioning since October 1993. The countries have signed over 160 bilateral international treaties. The Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborhood and Cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement are the most important laws regulating bilateral political and economic cooperation.
 
The cross-border cooperation between Belarus and Ukraine is also being developed. The meetings of Belarusian and Ukrainian border districts’ local governments are being held annually.
 
Two countries have an outlook for more intense scientific and technical cooperation and further development in the fields of agriculture, transport, science, culture, education, sport and tourism.
 
The political and economic cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova is developing continuously. Diplomatic relations between the two states were established on November 19, 1992. 60 treaties and agreements have been signed by the states since. The first project in the sphere of industrial cooperation was implemented in 2009. Minsk Tractor Works and “Agrofermotech” company organized the assembly of tractors for gardens and vineyards in Moldova on the basis of the machine-sets produced at the Belarusian Smorgon aggregate Plant. In 2012 50 tractors were assembled and a new contract on delivery 70 machine-sets next year has been concluded. The fourteenth session of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Moldavian Commission on trade-economic cooperation took place on November  2012 in Minsk. The Commission discussed a set of issues regarding the development of cooperation in industry, agriculture, science, health, sports, etc.

Recently the cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan in all spheres of mutual concern has become more intensive. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established on June 11, 1993. Since 2006 four official highest level visits took place. In 2012 the Belarusian export of goods amounted to  US$ 211 million (grew up by 5.4 percent).

Since 2007 a number of joint projects in the field of industrial cooperation has been launched as well as assembly lines of Belarusian tractors, trucks, truck cranes and elevators. The leader of the Belarusian-Azerbaijani cooperation in the sphere of industrial cooperation is the Ganja automobile plant. The distribution network of Belarusian producers in the market of Azerbaijan is composed of 4 trade houses and 30 dealers, representing the interests of more than 40 Belarusian exporters. In 2012, the total of the direct Azerbaijani investments in Belarus was 13.8 million US dollars.
 
Two countries have a great potential for further cooperation in agriculture, industry, energy, architecture and construction, education, science and culture.

Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Georgia were established in January, 1994. Georgia is the perspective trade partner of Republic of Belarus in Transcaucasia. Within the last five years the bilateral commodity turnover grew practically by 3 times.

In 2012 the trade turnover between Belarus and Georgia exceeded 70 million dollars and in comparison with 2011 increased by 8,4 percent. The export was 36,0 million dollars (grew on 5 percent), import – 34,4 million dollars (grew by 12,1 percent).

The Republic of Belarus takes part in modernization of agro-industrial complex of Georgia. In 2012 our republic supplied tractors on dollar amount 5,7 million, cars agricultural for preparation and soil processing – on 1,0 million dollars. Deliveries of this equipment are carried out in leasing by the Belarusian company Promagroleasing.

Belarus and Kazakhstan have established a fruitful dialogue. Bilateral high-level visits in both side are in a regular practice. Presidents and Prime Ministers of two states meet each other regularly in the framework of CIS, EurAsEC and CSTO.
 
Diplomatic relations between two countries were established on September 16, 1992. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Kazakhstan was founded in 1997. The Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus has been functioning in Almaaty since July 2002. The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Belarus was established in 1995. The legislative base of today’s bilateral cooperation includes over 60 international treaties and documents.
 
Traditionally, Kazakhstan has become the third important partner of Belarus in terms of foreign trade with CIS countries, after Russia and Ukraine – our neighbors. In 2012 the trade turnover between two countries amounted to $ 925 million. The Belarusian export to Kazakhstan reached its greatest importance during the last decade and was US$ 806 million s (135,8 percent to the level of the year 2010). Imports from Kazakhstan is US$ 119 million. The bulk of Belarusian exports to Kazakhstan accounted for supply of the following goods: milk and dairy products, tires, tractors, sugar, lorries, furniture, harvesters, medicines, etc.
 
The countries have recently improved their cooperation in investment and started new joint ventures. The manufacture of Belarusian tractors, harvesters and elevators has been set up in Kazakhstan. A joint venture on repair and manufacturing of parts for mining dump trucks “BelAZ” has been established. A number of other industrial projects are being currently implemented.
 
Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Turkmenistan were established on January 21, 1993. The Embassy of Turkmenistan started its activity in Minsk in October 1995. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus began to work in Ashgabat in 2002. 30 international agreements constitute the legal foundation of the bilateral cooperation.

Bilateral cooperation between two countries has significantly improved. In 2012 the turnover amounted to $237,8. The export of Belarusian goods to Turkmenistan in 2012 is $ 231,5 million. Belarus supplies to Turkmenistan mainly goods with high added value: tractors, road construction machinery, machinery for soil cultivation, trucks, tires, pharmaceuticals, food products (sugar, milk powder) etc.

The creation of the Intergovernmental Belarusian-Turkmen Commission for Economic Cooperation in 2008 made a substantial contribution to the growth of mutual trade and business development.
 
The construction of the ore-dressing and processing enterprise for potash fertilizers production (1.4 million tons/year production capacity) at Garlyk potash deposit became the most important joint project.
 
The educational cooperation is becoming more intensive as well. There are currently over 7 thousand Turkmen students getting their education in Belarusian universities and special professional schools.
 
The relations between Belarus and Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are gradually strengthening. A comprehensive legislative basis of cooperation with these countries has been created. Trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation is developing. Close contacts are maintained on inter-agency and inter-regional levels. Intergovernmental commissions for trade and economic cooperation with the countries in the region have been set up. The meetings of commissions are held on a regular basis.

Belarus and Armenia tend to have an increasingly closer cooperation. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Armenia were established on June 11, 1993. Around 60 agreements regulating different cooperation spheres have been signed by the countries.

Armenia has formed a commodity distribution network of Belarusian companies and uses it to increase the supply of trucks, municipal service and road-building vehicles. 3 enterprises in Armenia have drawn Belarusian investment. AR-BE ARMENIAN-BELARUSIAN TRADING HOUSE for selling around 8 500 items manufactured in Belarus was opened in Yerevan in September 2010.
 
The Belarusian-Armenian commission for trade and economic cooperation coordinates bilateral trade. Since its creation in 2000 9 meetings of the Commission were held.
 
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Tajikistan were established on  September 5, 1996. In March 2011 the Belarusian Embassy in Dushanbe was opened. On October 27-29 2011, there was an official visit of the President of the Republic of Belarus A.Lukashenko in Tajikistan. Within the visit important agreements were signed, which create new favorable conditions for the further long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Uzbekistan were established on January 21, 1993.
 
Uzbekistan has been our fifth important export partner in the CIS region for the last few years. By the end of 2012, the bilateral trade between Belarus and Uzbekistan  has amounted to $ 124 million. The export amounted to US$ 94.9 million. The main export deliveries to Uzbekistan are polyethers and epoxide resins, sugar, chipboard, tires, woven fabrics of synthetic staple and filament yarn; cosmetics for hair. Cotton yarn; knitted garments, grapes are the main goods imported from Uzbekistan,

Actual trends of mutually beneficial cooperation are defined in the framework of the meetings of the Joint intergovernmental Commission on bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Three joint meetings has taken place on by now.
 
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Kyrgyz Republic were established on 21 January 1993. Belarus major exports to Kyrgyzstan are: petroleum products, sugar, trucks, tires, tractors, refrigerators, parts and accessories for cars and tractors, malt, chipboard. Cotton fiber, pipes, equipment for thermal processing of materials, dried vegetables, gelatin are the main goods imported from Kyrgyz.

Please, find detailed information on cooperation between Belarus and CIS countries at the web pages of Belarusian diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.