Belarusian and Russian industrialists will coordinate efforts in manufacturing and supplying agricultural machines, Deputy Industry Minister of Gennady Svidersky told media on 8 July after negotiations with representatives of Soyuzagromash, the Russian union of agricultural machinery and equipment manufacturers, in Minsk . 

Arranged following an initiative of the Russian side, the meeting tabled problems regarding agricultural mechanical engineering and supplies of agricultural machines to Russia and . 

According to Gennady Svidersky, the sides agreed that Russian and Belarusian companies will discuss their long-term development programmes and manufacturing cooperation programmes and will come up with proposals to increase their effectiveness. Proposals of the companies and Soyuzagromash will be considered at a session of a joint working group of the Russian Federation Industry and Trade Ministry and the Belarusian Industry Ministry. The Deputy Industry Minister underscored that equal terms for economic entities of the two countries will have to be adjusted and created. 

Gennady Svidersky remarked that there are plans to expand and correct the Union programme for agricultural mechanical engineering development. “It is necessary that the things that we can manufacture effectively and reliably should be produced in while the things that our Russian colleagues can make should be developed by them,” said the official. “All in all, we should ship competitive machines to the markets of and and to third countries”. 

In his words, in August the joint session is supposed to table these matters and make relevant decisions concerning the scientific and technical programme, mutual manufacturing cooperation, strategic development matters of MTZ, Gomselmash, Bobruiskagromash, Russian Rostselmash, and other major companies. The operation of Belarusian companies, which have been set up in , will be considered as well. “We should integrate efforts and achieve the maximum result,” underlined Gennady Svidersky. He also remarked that lending support for Russian customers willing to buy Belarusian machines is being discussed. Sources for subsidizing interest rates are being sought.

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