The creation of joint ventures can contribute to the increase of trade turnover between Belarus and Kazakhstan - A. Smirnov

February 25, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The creation of joint ventures can contribute to increasing trade turnover between Belarus and Kazakhstan. This point of view was expressed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Belarus Anatoly Smirnov, answering a question from a BELTA correspondent. He is taking part in the international investment forum, which is being held in Vitebsk on February 25-26. Relations between Belarus and Kazakhstan have significantly intensified over the past year. The maximum trade turnover between the two states was $570 million, but it may reach $3 billion in the near future. All prerequisites for this exist, the ambassador is confident. About 30 joint ventures operate in Kazakhstan. In the Kostanay region, 78 harvesters were produced for the first time at a joint Belarusian-Kazakh enterprise in 2009, about 700 tractors rolled off the assembly line in Semipalatinsk, and a joint venture with MTZ also started operating in Pavlodar. In the West Kazakhstan region, Vitebsk OJSC "Moloko" opened one joint venture and is completing the creation of a second similar production facility. In addition, six trading houses operate in Kazakhstan. According to Anatoly Smirnov, such projects will help the economies of the two countries to overcome the financial and economic crisis. In addition, Kazakhstan is a good platform for Belarusian enterprises to promote their products to the markets of Central Asia and China. The next stage of development of economic relations should move to the interregional level.-0-