MINSK, 23 October (BelTA) – The Minsk oblast and Tehran Province signed an agreement on trade, economic, sci-tech and cultural cooperation. The document was inked by Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Leonid Krupets and Tehran Governor Morteza Tamaddon, BelTA has learnt. The sides intend to develop cooperation in industry, agriculture, trade, education, science, technology, culture, art, construction, logistics, tourism, sport, and healthcare. Favorable conditions will be created for raising investment, establishing cooperation between scientific, medical and educational institutions, theatres, museums, artistic unions, associations and funds of the Minsk oblast and Tehran Province. According to Morteza Tamaddon, this agreement will promote tourism, business contacts and facilitate the implementation of joint projects. Leonid Krupets pointed out that in the recent years the cooperation between Iran and the Minsk oblast has gained momentum; the bilateral trade is growing; four companies with Iranian capital are working in the Minsk oblast (three foreign firms and a joint venture). A large transport and logistics complex Prilesie is being constructed (Iran’s Keison company is its major investor). “I think we will bring our cooperation to a brand new level,” he said. Iranian businessmen are ready to invest in the tourism industry of the Minsk oblast; several projects to construct hotels and other objects of tourism infrastructure are being studied. The Iranian businessmen visited the Urozhainy equestrian center in the Minsk oblast, and the Staiki national Olympic center. The potential investors were informed about the tourism potential of the Minsk oblast; a presentation of the Belarusian Disneyland project was held. The sides discussed the import of Belarusian meat and fodder to Iran and delivery of Iran’s dried fruit and coal to Belarus In January-August 2009 the trade between the Minsk oblast and the Islamic Republic of Iran made up $3.8 million, up 64.9% over the same period of last year. The export of commodities fell to $0.8 million, down 65% from January-August 2008. The downturn was due to a decrease in the export of synthetic fiber (this commodity item accounted for 46.3% of the total export in 2008), synthetic threads (25.8%), component parts and equipment for cars and tractors (15%). In January-August 2009 Belarus’ major imports to Iran were trucks ($586,500, no deliveries in 2008), liquid pumps ($69,900, a 12-time increase in the export), aluminium metalware ($41,800, no exports in 2008). Iran’s exports to Belarus increased 2.7 times to reach $3 million. Belarus imported component parts of cars and tractors ($856,300, up 10.2 times over the same period in 2008), internal combustion engines ($292,900, up 9 times).

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