Belarus and Ukraine remove all mutual restrictions on trade

Belarus and Ukraine remove all mutual restrictions on trade - such an agreement was reached between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine on June 12, 2009 in Kiev during the working visit of the Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky to the Ukrainian capital. During the working visit to Kyiv, a number of meetings of the HEAD of the Government of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky with the leadership of Ukraine took place.

Belarus and Ukraine have the opportunity to increase mutual trade. This was stated by Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky at a meeting with President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko. Sergei Sidorsky recalled that last year Belarus and Ukraine reached a record trade turnover of $5 billion. “We need to maintain this bar,” he stressed.

The development of bilateral relations with Ukraine in Belarus has been put under serious control, the Prime Minister of Belarus noted. Now the parties need to resolve a number of issues in order to give impetus to cooperation in the current financial and economic conditions. In particular, Belarus is interested in working with Ukrainian partners through settlements in national currencies.

As Viktor Yushchenko noted, the parties should strive for a balanced trade turnover. In his opinion, during the current talks "the vision of the parties will be expressed and strategic issues of cooperation will be discussed." Stressing the importance of previous meetings with the Head of the Belarusian State ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO, which gave impetus to bilateral cooperation, the Ukrainian President said that "such relations inspire confidence in the future prospects for joint work."

Sergei Sidorsky informed the Head of the Ukrainian State about the development of the Belarusian economy. He stated that there is no recession in the country, the growth rate of gross domestic product for five months of 2009 is positive and amounts to 101.4%.

On the same day, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky met with Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko. Belarus establishes a national regime for trade in Ukrainian goods, Sergei Sidorsky said at a meeting with Yulia Tymoshenko.

As Sergei Sidorsky noted, there will be no obstacles for the movement of goods from Ukraine to Belarus. The previously existing 10% duty on Ukrainian goods, which was introduced in response to similar actions by the Ukrainian side, will be cancelled.

And another important document concerning the removal of trade restrictions was signed on that day - an agreement between the Belarusian Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy on the conditions for the supply of tires for cars. For some time this issue hindered trade between Belarus and Ukraine, now this barrier has been removed.

According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, very harmonious relations are developing between the two neighboring states. The crisis is making its own adjustments to mutual trade. Last year, trade doubled. Now countries want to maintain the growth rate of trade in order to, if not multiply, then at least return to the previous volumes.

As Sergei Sidorsky noted, there is a “good anti-crisis plan for this between Belarus and Ukraine, a road map is in effect.” All these steps, as well as the bilateral documents signed today, allow us to hope that there will be no more obstacles in mutual trade. “We agreed that we would remove the previously existing barriers and begin to work, opening up opportunities for the mutual movement of products and goods,” he stressed.

He also pointed out the importance of solving the problem of mutual settlements in the national currency. In the near future, this topic will be discussed during a visit to Belarus by the chairman of the NATIONAL BANK of Ukraine. it is planned to agree in detail on this issue. He stressed that the Belarusian side is interested in working with Ukraine, making payments in the national currency. This takes into account the current stability of the hryvnia. “It is important for us to follow this path in order to intensify the work of commodity producers,” said the Belarusian Prime Minister.

The parties also discussed ways to develop innovative breakthrough projects. According to Sergei Sidorsky, "today we are laying the foundation for an economy that will work in the post-crisis period." He also said that over the past month there have been positive developments in the trade between Belarus and Ukraine - plus 2-4% in the volume of mutual trade.

Yulia Tymoshenko, in turn, noted that she "carefully observes the work of the Belarusian Government." “Not every country today can maintain a positive GDP growth rate in the context of the global financial and economic crisis,” the Ukrainian Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister of Belarus recalled that the memorandum signed in January 2009 in Chernigov between the Governments and the National Banks of Belarus and Ukraine on the development of a system of measures to intensify bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the context of the global financial and economic crisis is aimed at ensuring unimpeded mutual settlements between the subjects economy of the two states. This document should start working as soon as possible, Sergei Sidorsky emphasized.

Sergei Sidorsky also announced that the contract for the supply of Ukrainian electricity to Belarus begins today, June 12. “This is another way for the fruitful development of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations,” the Prime Minister of Belarus emphasized.

In turn, Yulia Tymoshenko said that the supply of electricity to Belarus will begin from the moment the Belarusian government delegation returns home.

“We are very interested that, firstly, the supply of Ukrainian electricity to the territory of Belarus is started, and today I want to instruct our Minister of Fuel and Energy that the contract that was signed for the supply of electricity be immediately put into effect, and that we start delivery immediately after your (Belarusian delegation) return to Belarus,” the Prime Minister of Ukraine said.

Yulia Tymoshenko also noted that Ukraine and Belarus can actively cooperate in the supply of Ukrainian electricity to other countries. “We could do a lot with the joint EXPORT of electricity to other countries,” the Ukrainian Prime Minister added.

The contract for the supply of Ukrainian electricity was signed in May this year. Belarus is ready to import in 2009 750 million kWh of Ukrainian electricity at mutually beneficial prices for the parties.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko also noted that Belarus and Ukraine have exceptional opportunities in trade.

“Our short tête-à-tête meeting with Sergei Sidorsky opens up broad prospects for cooperation,” said Yulia Tymoshenko. Last year, when a record trade turnover between the two countries was reached, speaks of the exceptionally high opportunities for Belarus and Ukraine in trade. Now, according to the Ukrainian prime minister, there are no such rosy figures as last year. But already now the parties see how the financial system of settlements in mutual trade is being restored. This, in her opinion, gives reason to hope for an increase in trade.

Yulia Tymoshenko stressed the importance of the Belarusian-Ukrainian agreement on cooperation in the field of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, which is planned to be signed today in Kyiv. It will also make it possible to develop contacts in the field of mastering new and high technologies.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine expressed her hope that today's meeting "will remove our problems that exist in some areas." In particular, we are talking about lifting restrictions on the supply of Belarusian tires to Ukraine. The corresponding document is also planned to be signed.

During the discussion of existing restrictions in mutual trade, Sergei Sidorsky and Yulia Timoshenko clarified, in particular, their positions on the supply of Belarusian agricultural machinery. An assurance was received from the Ukrainian side that the restrictions on the supply of agricultural machinery, which currently exist, will be lifted.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister positively assessed the work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, thanks to which good contacts have been established and a constant dialogue is ongoing. All this indicates great prospects for trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Ukraine.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko told journalists following the results of the last intergovernmental meeting that Belarus and Ukraine are lifting all mutual trade restrictions. In particular, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine in the field of application of special (protective) anti-dumping and countervailing measures for mutual trade.

“Today we signed a number of documents that are the result of our meeting. We have agreed that we will remove all mutual anti-dumping investigations and all restrictions and move on to constructive work,” Yulia Tymoshenko said.

Today in Kyiv there was also an agreement on a visa-free regime - Ukraine and Belarus agreed to simplify the procedures for registering citizens for mutual trips as part of the implementation of the agreement on a visa-free regime.

Commenting on this document, Yulia Tymoshenko noted: “This is a very significant step forward towards our mutual understanding and, above all, this is a document that enables our citizens to visit our countries without a visa; this is the highest level of trust and the highest degree of cooperation and friendship between our countries.”

According to the draft agreement on a visa-free regime with the Government of Belarus, approved in May this year by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the period of stay of citizens of Ukraine and Belarus in the territory of the two countries without the need for registration has been increased from 3 to 30 days.

It is envisaged that the three-day period of stay of Ukrainian citizens on the territory of Belarus without the need for registration, which has existed until then, will be increased to 30 days.

The signing of a new agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of Belarus was caused by the need for a clear legal regulation of the regime of mutual trips of citizens of the two countries and is designed to streamline the registration process on the territory of the two states.

According to the provisions of the agreement, citizens of one of the states, regardless of their place of residence, enter, leave and transit, or stay in the territory of another state without visas.

The agreement is drawn up for an unlimited period and enters into force on the 30th day from the date of acceptance by diplomatic channels of the last written notification of the completion of all domestic procedures necessary for the entry into force of the agreement.

Another signed document, which the Prime Ministers of Belarus and Ukraine commented to journalists, was an agreement on cooperation in the field of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

This is a new page in the cooperation between Belarus and Ukraine, said Yulia Tymoshenko. Cooperation in the space sphere between Belarus and Ukraine, according to her, can even provide fundamentally new solutions for the world, including in the field of earth sounding. This is another step to continue the "quality cooperation" between Belarus and Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko stressed.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine also highly appreciated the agreements on cooperation in the energy sector. This is an increase in Ukrainian electricity exports, she said. In the near future, "we can resolve the issue of mutual joint export of electricity to other countries, which also opens up a new direction for cooperation between the two countries."

In addition, today Belarus and Ukraine discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the oil refining system. “Ukraine can be a transport country that will supply the necessary volumes of oil for Belarus,” the Ukrainian Prime Minister noted. “In general, we need to think about how these transit lines for oil supplies to Belarus can be optimized in order to produce additional volumes of oil products for both Belarus and Ukraine,” she said.

It was also announced that all procedures for the demarcation of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border would be completed as soon as possible. Yulia Tymoshenko believes that this issue should be resolved as soon as possible.

Summing up the agreements reached today, the Ukrainian Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine and Belarus intend to intensify cooperation in order to increase trade.

“Even in the pre-crisis period in 2008, the volume of trade between our countries was actually doubled... This has never happened before, and this, of course, is a great achievement. We must understand that the crisis has made its own adjustments and influenced this situation, but today we are meeting in order to resume our growth rates,” Yulia Tymoshenko said.

The Ukrainian prime minister noted that following the intergovernmental meeting, a number of documents were signed that will help improve the economic situation in the two countries, overcome the economic crisis and resume trade at the pre-crisis level.

Belarus and Ukraine will work on the creation of new joint ventures, in particular for the production of agricultural machinery, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said.

“We agreed that it is necessary to pay special attention to the creation of joint ventures, which will promote our trade,” the Belarusian Prime Minister noted. Today, almost a quarter of Belarusian tractors enter the Ukrainian market. Tractor assembly plants operate in Kyiv and Nikolaev. In Dnepropetrovsk, there is an assembly plant for agricultural machinery and units. There is also a Belarusian-Ukrainian joint venture for the assembly of Mogilev elevators.

Sergei Sidorsky also stressed the importance of Ukrainian entrepreneurs entering the Belarusian market. “We welcome this, they come with new technologies and do not depend on the country's raw materials,” said the Prime Minister of Belarus.

Sergei Sidorsky stressed that the positive dynamics of trade and economic relations between the two countries has been maintained for six years already, and the trade turnover has actually increased seven times in the period from 2003 ($705.6 million) to 2008 ($4904.8 million). . dollars).

As part of the working visit of the Prime Minister of Belarus to Kyiv, Sergei Sidorsky also met with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Vladimir Litvin and leader of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovych.

Business Belarusian-Ukrainian negotiations also took place. As the Minister of Industry of Belarus Anatoly Rusetsky noted in an interview with journalists, "between Belarus and Ukraine, ways to solve the problems of trade have been outlined today, which is very important for us as manufacturers."

The resumption of Belarusian imports of Ukrainian electricity will also create a balance for settlements in trade. Anatoly Rusetsky said that joint ventures operating in Ukraine with a Belarusian share of capital will receive a regime of national access to the Ukrainian market. They have the opportunity to obtain loans from Ukrainian banks, which ensures the supply of their products.

Construction is now intensifying in Ukraine, including road construction, which means that demand for Belarusian MAZ and BelAZ vehicles will recover. At the same time, Anatoly Rusetsky stated, the problem of lack of money among Ukrainian consumers remains, but the parties are ready to solve it.

The issues of supplies of Belarusian dairy products, in particular butter, to the Ukrainian market were also discussed. Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Semyon Shapiro told journalists about this. In the first quarter, Belarus supplied more than 600,000 tons of oil to Ukraine. The meetings also discussed other opportunities to intensify cooperation between Belarusian and Ukrainian manufacturers.