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PETROZAVODSK, May 17 INTERFAX-NORTHWEST - Prospects of bilateral economic cooperation of the paper industry of Belarus and Karelia have been considered in Minsk within the scope of Days of the Northwest of Russia held there.
As the Prime Minister of Karelia Pavel Chernov has declared on results of visit to Minsk, "first of all, we bind prospects with deliveries of paper-making equipment from Karelia to the Belarus enterprises.
He reminded, that the similar project is already under implementation in Karelia: Petrozavodskmash, Close Corporation has delivered to Belarus a complete set of equipment for a factory of newprint constructed in Shklov.
According to Pavel Chernov, "one of the important projects of long-term mutually advantageous cooperation there may become extraction of peat in Karelia on the basis of high technologies and equipment applied in Belarus." At that, he added, "it is possible to create a joint venture for extraction of peat in Karelia."
As a whole Pavel Chernov has emphasized, that Belarus and the Republic of Karelia "have close trade and economic relations."
According to official returns, the volume of mutual trade has been growing dynamically in recent years. Commodity circulation between Belarus and the Russian region in the first quarter of 2006 has made $5,2 million, that is 22.2% more than within the similar period of the last year. Growth of commodity circulation is caused by increase in volumes of import. In general, Karelia delivers to Belarus paper production and ferrous metals. In turn, the Belarus enterprises export trucks, trunks, internal combustion engines. The volume of the Belarus export to Karelia for this period has achieved $3,2 million (almost 10% reduction), and import has made $2 million (growth by 184%).
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