Meeting with Governor of Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Gleb Nikitin

The trade between Belarus and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is approaching $1 billion and this target will be met in the nearest future, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Governor Gleb Nikitin.

Speaking about cooperation between Belarus and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, the Belarusian head of state noted that this region cooperates with 145 countries, and Belarus tops the list. In 2021, the trade reached $700 million, and the upward trend remains in place this year. “This is a very good result. And I must say that we are maintaining momentum,” the Belarusian leader said. “We are close to the ‘golden' billion that we once dreamed of with the governor. I think that we will achieve this figure. After all, we are determined to increase trade, we also have large reserves. Oddly enough, sanctions are the most important reserve,” he said. The President explained that it was the sanctions that prompted Belarus and Russia to cooperate closer and develop their own competencies.

Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested that Belarus and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast cooperate across a wide range of areas: from engineering, construction to agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and light industry. “Consider cooperation in the agro-industrial complex, from agro-towns to seeds. If you are interested, we are ready to cooperate. We need to bring agricultural production in order, starting with agro-towns. It is necessary to save Russia's countryside. There can be no Belarus, no Russia, no Ukraine without the countryside. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that people living in rural communities should have a decent life,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. Belarusian specialists are ready to share their best practices, to design and build together agricultural towns modeled on Belarusian agricultural towns. Belarus would like to participate in the construction of infrastructure facilities in Russia. Belarus can to do this at a much lower cost than other construction companies.