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New German Ambassador to Belarus
Forecasts Development of Cooperation
German Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
Belarus Martin Hecker is convinced, that the new German Government will be
eager to cooperate with Belarus.
“I am sure that the new Government formed after the elections
that took place September 18, will be interested in cooperation with
Belarus”, the diplomat said during a reception dedicated to the Day of
German Unity on October 3.
The Ambassador noted, Belarus and Germany have a vast
economic cooperation potential.
Belarus and Germany Signed Agreement on
Avoidance of Double Taxation
Belarus and Germany have signed the Agreement on avoidance of
double taxation of income and capital and prevention of tax evasion. The
ceremony was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Belarus on
September 30, 2005.
The agreement creates favorable conditions for companies of
the two countries and provides for simpler administration procedures and
lower tax rates.
Germany ranks second after Russia in terms of loans to
Belarusian companies. Investments amounted to $105.8 million last year. As
of early 2005 Belarus had 375 companies with German capital, of them 218
joint ventures and 157 enterprises with 100 percent German capital. Germany
ranks third after Russia and the U.S. in terms of the number of companies
with foreign capital. Besides, 76 large German companies have their offices
in Belarus, including BASF, Lufthansa, Bayer, Siemens, Schering, Frisenius.
Germany to Open New 75 Million Euro
Credit Line for Belarus
Germany considers opening a new 75 million euro credit line
for Belarus, Germany’s Ambassador to Belarus Dr. Martin Hecker said.
“So far there have been no difficulties with receiving funds
within the credit line, and the decision regarding the new 75 million euro
credit line may be made quite soon,” the ambassador said. Germany is
interested in business in Belarus, Dr. Martin Hecker said, adding that
representatives of German business circles often request information about
any positive indicators on the Belarusian market.
According to him, a delegation of representatives with
Germany’s Economy Ministry is expected to pay a visit to Belarus soon.
German credit lines against the security of the Belarusian
government have reached 488 million euros since the early 90s. The loans
were used to finance over 55 projects in agriculture, industry, oil and
chemistry, construction and transport.
Belarus and China: Mutual Interest
Strengthening Cooperation
The new Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Hu Hunbin told a news
conference last Friday he was going to facilitate large investment projects
between the two countries.
“There is a profitable joint venture in China that assembles
wheeled tractors [Xiang-Volat], however, there are no large joint ventures
in Belarus. We will encourage large Chinese companies to open offices in
Belarus,” Hu Hunbin said.
According to him, the embassy’s main goal is to develop trade
and economic cooperation between Belarus and China. He reminded that a
Chinese company would be involved in the upgrade of the Minsk-based power
co-generation plant TETS-2, besides, China-based Alcatel Shanghai Bell won a
tender to supply equipment and services to Belarus’ third GSM operator BeST.
The official visit of President of Belarus Alexander
Lukashenko to China scheduled for this December. 10 documents are being
prepared to be signed during the visit.
Belarus to Develop Road Transportation
with China
Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus hopes to
boost international road transportation between Belarus and China, Minister
Mikhail Borovoi told a news conference last Friday.
“There are several unsettled issues between the countries
now, there is no bilateral road transportation agreement, however, we plan
to prepare a memorandum on cooperation and have it signed during the coming
visit of President Alexander Lukashenko to China this December,” Borovoi
said.
The minister noted that prior to the establishment of a
relevant legal framework Belarus would provide transport services for
transit freight bound for Europe and develop cooperation with other
countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, especially with
Kazakhstan.
Ukraine Plans to Invite Belarus to
Partake in Eurasian Oil Corridor
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yury Yekhanurov is expected to
visit Belarus in the first half of October.
According to Ukraine’ Security Secretary Anatoly Kinakh it is
planned to consider Belarus involvement in the development of the Eurasian
oil transport corridor, the legal framework for the readmission of citizens
of the two countries and demarcation of the state border.
Moldova to Consider Joint Project with
Belarus
Prime Minister of Moldova Vasily Tarleyev discussed joint
trade and investment projects in Minsk during his visit to Belarus on
October 5-6, 2005.
Minsk also hosted the 9th meeting of the intergovernmental
Belarusian-Moldovan commission for trade and economic cooperation. The
Moldovan delegation visited the largest Belarusian export companies.
The parties considered supplies of tractors, construction and
road-building machinery to Moldova, the establishment of trolleybus
assembling facilities and possible involvement of Belarusian companies in
the program of gasification of Moldova.
Belarus Ratified Investment Agreement
With Bosnia and Herzegovina
The House of Representatives of the Belarusian Parliament
ratified the agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina on facilitation and
protection of mutual investments.
Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the agreement in
Sarajevo on November 29, 2004. The agreement envisages that both parties are
to facilitate and protect mutual investments, not to take unfounded and
discriminatory measures in management, support, application and disposal of
mutual investments.
Besides, the parties undertake to provide equal treatment of
both domestic and foreign investors.
Belarus Ratified International Road
Transport Agreement with Lebanon
The House of Representatives of the Belarusian Parliament,
the ratified on Monday the agreement between the Government of Belarus and
the Government of Lebanon on international road transport, which was signed
in Beirut on February 2, 2005.
According to Belarus’ Transport and Communications Minister
Mikhail Borovoi, the agreement is necessary to regulate the issues connected
with international road transport between Belarus and Lebanon and transit.
The agreement provides for the necessary conditions of road
transport in accordance with laws of both countries. The agreement allows
only international transportation in order to protect national carriers and
determines the procedure of transportation of hazardous and perishable
cargoes, liability for violation of traffic rules and some other issues.
Belarus Ratified Air Traffic Agreement
with Bahrain
The House of Representatives of the Belarusian Parliament
ratified the air traffic agreement between Belarus and Bahrain, signed on
September 27, 2004.
“This agreement is almost the same as 40 deals of the kind
signed with other countries,” Sergei Gaidukevich, a member of the commission
for international affairs and relations with the CIS, told the lower
chamber.
The agreement introduces a legal framework for regular
flights between the two countries.
Belarus Interested in EU Investments
to Develop Transport Corridors
Belarus is interested in receiving investments from European
Union in the development of the transport corridors passing through the
country, Alexander Chernyshevich, the deputy chairman of the road
development division with the Belavtodor department of the Transport and
Communications Ministry, told reporters.
He referred to specialists, who claim traffic flow in the EU
will double by 2020, which is why the EU is interested in the development
not only of its own roads, but also the roads of neighbor countries. The
European Commission plans to start drafting its budget for 2007-2013 soon,
and may take part in financing Belarusian projects under bilateral
agreements with neighbor countries,” Chernyshevich said.
Belarus plans to attract investments in the M1/E30
Brest-Russian border motorway, which is part of the second transport
corridor. Besides, Belarus suggested the European Commission should take
part in financing the upgrade of the Belarusian section of the ninth
transport corridor and two railroad corridors Gomel-Gudogai and
Brest-Osinovka.
UNISEF Supports Belarus Initiative
Against Human Trafficking
The UN Children’s Fund /UNICEF/ supported an initiative of
Belarus to establish global partnership against slavery and human
trafficking in the 21st century under the aegis of the UNO, the second
session of the UNICEF Executive Council stated in the UN headquarters in New
York.
At the session of the Council the Permanent Representative of
Belarus in the UN Andrei Dapkiunas appealed in his speech to the UNICEF to
study the problems of trade in children in different world regions and to
intensify the work on strengthening the potential of the states concerned in
the sphere of legal assistance and rehabilitation of victims of human
trafficking.
The Foreign Ministry of Belarus, top officials of the UN
Children’s Fund supported the Belarusian initiative and underlined its
importance. Some structural units of the fund have already been studying the
problem of trade in children in Central and Eastern Europe. The UNICEF
expressed readiness to take an active part in implementing the Belarusian
initiative.
The necessity to develop a new comprehensive approach to
tackling international trafficking in people was raised by President of
Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in his speech at the UN Summit 2005. The
initiative to form a global partnership against slavery and trade in human
beings was also voiced by the Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov
during the political discussion at the 60th session of the UN General
Assembly.
Belarus Ratified EurAsEC Protocol on
Export-Import Licensing
The House of Representatives of the Belarusian Parliament
ratified the Protocol on unified rules of licensing of export and import
operations in the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC: member-countries –
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Armenia, Moldavia
and Ukraine are observers).
The protocol was signed in October 2004 in Moscow.
Unified licensing rules only apply to the commodities on the
unified EurAsEC list, which includes radioactive and explosive agents, crop
protecting agents, and spirit-based products, that is the commodities that
may threaten humans.
The protocol defines the rules of supervision and licensing
of imports and exports of the commodities subject to EurAsEC restrictions in
trade with third countries.
The protocol does not apply to imports and exports of the
commodities subject to export control and imports of weapons and military
equipment and other military-oriented products.
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