Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin met Vasily Prudnikov, head of Byelorussian consulate in Yekaterinburg, on April 10, 2007.

Mr. Prudnikov said Chelyabinsk Region and Byelorussia kept building up their economic ties. The two parties’ trade turnover, for example, rose by 29% in 2006 and amounted to $236m. Chelyabinsk Region-based companies have been supplying rolled metal to Byelorussia, whereas Byelorussian enterprises export their machine-building produce and instruments to Chelyabinsk Region.

According to the spokesperson for the Governor, Mr. Sumin and Mr. Prudnikov tried to negotiate for the construction of a Byelorussian trade and logistics center in the region. The center would presumably offer a very wide range of Byelorussian produce from the best agricultural equipment to the famous knitwear. The beauty of the plan is that the existence of a center would eliminate the need for intermediaries and ensure lower prices. According to the regional Minister for Economic Development Yuri Klepov, a Byelorussian delegation visited the region a few months ago and selected a site in Sosnovskiy district. The center is expected to start operating in two years’ time.

Mr. Prudnikov and Mr. Sumin also talked about some possible joint venture projects, development of energy-saving technologies and the introduction of a Byelorussian culture center in the area. Mr. Sumin said the two territories’ ties could only grow stronger and invited Mr. Prudnikov to attend the annual South Ural agricultural exhibition and have some Byelorussian manufacturers present their equipment.