Newsletter headings of "Mercury"

№ 2, 2024
Author:

On June 3, a large-scale meeting of representatives of business circles – the Mongolia-Belarus Business Forum – was held in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

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The event, organized by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia, was of particular importance for establishing new mutually beneficial ties and strengthening existing trade relations. The special status of the forum as an event held as part of the first in the history of diplomatic relations visit to Mongolia by the President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko could not but set a high bar for the organizers.

More than 60 representatives of about 40 Belarusian companies from agriculture, food industry, machine building and education took part in the forum to promote their products and hold B2B meetings with Mongolian companies to expand multifaceted business cooperation. The Mongolian side was particularly interested – the total number of participants in the plenary part alone exceeded 200 people.

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Opening the forum, Tumenzhargal Duuren, Executive Director of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia, the host of the event, noted that the goal of cooperation between the two countries is to open and develop new business opportunities by combining Mongolia's agricultural resources and the advanced methods and technologies mastered in Belarus.

"The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia pays special attention to the development of non-resource exports of our country. Important components of our work are expanding the range and quality of export products, increasing production capacity, training personnel and developing new business areas," he added.

Welcoming the forum participants, Chairman of the BelCCI Mikhael Miatlikov noted that the economies of Belarus and Mongolia complement each other. Cooperation in agriculture, food production and food security, industry, including supplies of Belarusian mechanical engineering and chemical products, is seen as promising.

"Historical ties, similarity of geopolitical position are the factors that provide our countries with a road to continue and strengthen bilateral cooperation," Mikhael Miatlikov said. "Recently, state bodies and business have done a lot to develop trade and economic ties. I am convinced that our meeting, undoubtedly important for the Belarus-Mongolia relations, will give the necessary impetus to the joint movement forward.

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He also noted the readiness of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as the largest institution for supporting Belarusian exports to provide all possible assistance to business representatives of Belarus and Mongolia interested in partnership, to be a reliable guide for Mongolian business in Belarus.

"I am confident that the existing base of mutual relations, including in trade, will further develop, and friendly ties will contribute to the increase of mutual trade between our countries. I wish the participants of the Mongolia-Belarus Business Forum productive work with the achievement of specific agreements and results," Mikhael Miatlikov summarized.

Co-Chairmen of the Intergovernmental Mongolian-Belarusian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation – Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia Hayangaagiin Bolorchuluun and Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Rogozhnik – were the forum distinguished guests.

In his speech, Aleksandr Rogozhnik emphasized that official and working visits have created favorable conditions and prerequisites for the long-term mutually beneficial cooperation with Mongolia.

"Despite the difficult global economic and geopolitical situation, I am confident that together we will make every effort to maintain the existing relations. Our collective efforts are highly supposed to bring positive results and serve the public good," he said.

The Minister of Industry of Belarus expressed confidence that the business forum would become another impetus for full-fledged mutually beneficial cooperation, help establish close contacts between the interested parties and organize deliveries of Belarusian machinery to Mongolia in the near future.

The forum featured presentations and speeches by experts in their respective fields from the two countries. On the Belarusian side, the forum participants were presented with the export and production capabilities of industrial flagships, the advantages of stock exchange instruments, the prospects of scientific cooperation, as well as legal aspects of doing business by Belarusian companies in Mongolia.

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Besides, the ceremony of signing six bilateral documents was held, including the Action Plan for the implementation of the economic part of the Roadmap for the Development of Cooperation between Belarus and Mongolia in 2024-2026, memorandums, agreements and contracts on the supply of Belarusian dump trucks, elevators, confectionery and sugar products, and the joint set up of livestock farms and complexes.

At the end of the joint business forum, Minister of Industry Aleksandr Rogozhnik thanked the Mongolian side for the warm welcome and emphasized the importance of such events for maintaining friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries and developing mutually beneficial cooperation.

"Having favorable conditions for long-term mutually beneficial cooperation with Mongolia, Belarus is not only interested in the intensive development of trade and economic relations, but is also ready to share its experience and developments in the field of industry and agriculture," the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus added.

Hayangaagiin Bolorchuluun, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia said: "During this meeting, the parties have confirmed that economic relations between the two countries can be intensified in the fields of agriculture, education, science, technology, and in other areas. Therefore, we believe that today's business forum is important for expanding mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation between the two countries."

Thus, both sides confirmed the effectiveness and significance of joint business events and visits.

In addition, the busy work of the Belarusian delegation in Mongolia started even before the forum. Agreements on cooperation were reached and contracts were signed – a total of 13 documents worth about 20 million US dollars. For comparison, the entire trade turnover between Belarus and Mongolia amounted to about 30 million dollars in 2023.

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The exhibition-tasting of Belarusian products organized within the framework of the forum became one more platform for discussing joint business plans. Some domestic enterprises presented their products in the hope of finding new partners, while others reached agreements to expand existing cooperation.

Thus, the business program of the Belarusian delegation in Mongolia opened a new page in bilateral economic ties and created a solid foundation for strengthening the two countries' partnership.