Minsk Oblast's cooperation with Kazakhstan discussed

MINSK. KAZINFORM Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksandr Turchin met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belarus Askar Beisenbayev and discussed the advancement of cooperation between Minsk Oblast and Kazakhstan, the press service of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee told BelTA.

The sides summed up results of cooperation between Minsk Oblast and Kazakhstan in 2021. Promising joint projects were discussed and key avenues for advancing cooperation in the next few years were determined, BelTA reports.

Aleksandr Turchin and Askar Beisenbayev remarked that cooperation between Minsk Oblast and Kazakhstan has been and remains fruitful. Agreements on social, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between Karaganda Oblast and Minsk Oblast are in effect. As for specific regions, trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation is particularly advanced between the Minsk Oblast administration and the administration of Pavlodar Oblast as well as between the Slutsk District administration and the administration of Pavlodar District, Pavlodar Oblast.

In 2021 Minsk Oblast's trade with Kazakhstan totaled $190 million, 107.5% as against 2020. Minsk Oblast's export amounted to nearly $180 million, with the growth rate at 107.2%.

Foreign trade surplus was close to $170 million. Foreign direct investments from Kazakhstan exceeded $1.2 million, 137.2% as against 2020.