Industrial cooperation between Belarus and Russia is actively entering a new stage - the development of specific cooperation projects. In the last five years, the two countries have made several significant steps in the development of industrial cooperation. A number of strategic documents were adopted, which defined plans for joint work - decrees of the Supreme State Council of the Union State "On the main directions of implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2021-2023 and 2024-2026", 28 Union programs, Decree "On certain issues of implementation of the unified Industrial policy and Rules for confirming the production of industrial products on the territory of the Union State the state".
The main point of application of practical efforts for the industrial cooperation development is interregional cooperation. Belarus has established the institute of managers assigned to the regions of the Russian Federation – 80 regions of Russia are assigned to 40 officials (members of the Government, heads of state organizations, regional executive committees and Minsk City Executive Committee). Working groups or business cooperation councils have been established with each entity, which address all issues of interaction, including industry.
Belarus establishes the institute of managers assigned to the regions of Russia
One of the drivers of industrial cooperation is mechanical engineering. There are many successful cooperation projects in the industry that have already been implemented. Machinery using Belarusian machine kits is assembled at Ufa Tram and Trolleybus Plant JSC, Cherepovets Foundry and Mechanical Plant JSC, Amkodor-Bryansk LLC, Bryanskselmash JSC and many other Russian factories. Since 2021, the production of machinery and equipment for post-harvest grain processing by Amkodor-Agidel LLC has been successfully operating in Bashkortostan. The MAZ chassis is retrofitted with Russian specialized superstructures at the enterprises of the Mercator Holding, Lifting Machines JSC, MAZ Center Chelyabinsk LLC, Mtsensk Plant Commash JSC. Belarusian components are actively used by more than 20 Russian machine builders, including the flagships Rostselmash, UAZ, KAMAZ and URAL. This is not a complete list, which is also constantly expanding.
Another big step to simplify industrial cooperation was taken just a few days ago - on October 2, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the Law "On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the procedure for recognizing an electronic signature (electronic digital signature) in an electronic document in cross-border electronic interaction." The international agreement provides for mutual recognition by the parties of an electronic digital signature in electronic documents created, respectively, in Belarus and Russia. After the completion of the necessary domestic procedures by our countries and the final entry into force of this document, business entities of the two countries will be able to participate in public procurement without restrictions and promptly perform other legally significant actions in the common markets of goods and services of Belarus and Russia.
The creation and development of unified multi-brand sales and service centers for Belarusian equipment in the regions of the Russian Federation has been intensified. Among the goals for the near future is the creation of trading houses of the Republic of Belarus in the Russian regions. One of the recent examples is the multi-brand center of Belarusian technology, which opened on October 3 in Omsk, Russia. The product line to be constantly updated and expanded already includes milk trucks, cranes, and trucks. The key task of the center is full customer support. For the Omsk consumer, there are two main advantages - the price is lower, and the quality of service is higher. At the same time, the multi-brand center does not plan to limit itself to agricultural machinery alone.
It should be noted the high level of cooperation in the construction sector. Belarusian builders are erecting industrial and social facilities in many regions of the Russian Federation, including in key partner regions. For example, the comfort and quality of housing and social facilities built by Belarusians have long been appreciated in the Kaluga oblast, and the region expects the construction of a dairy complex using Belarusian technologies and Belarusian equipment to begin soon. However, seeing Belarusian builders more often as a contractor, and not as a subcontractor, is preferable.
Great prospects for cooperation between the two countries have appeared in import substitution
The successful experience of Belarusian road companies in the design and construction of highways is also in demand in Russia. For example, in September, during a visit to Belarus, the governor of the Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratiev, became interested in the construction of roads made of cement concrete. The head of the region was impressed by the technology of pavement production at a prefabricated mobile plant capable of processing 7 wagons of pure cement per shift, and only 40 minutes pass from the moment of material release to its laying.
The potential for cooperation between Belarus and Russia in industry, as in many other areas, is still huge. And the biggest prospects for the two countries have opened up on the import substitution track. By moving along the path of developing import-substituting cooperation, creating a product which is competitive and demanded in the Union State and around the world, we will be able not only to protect ourselves from all sorts of sanctions, but also to actively enter the markets of third countries with goods under the brand "Made in the Union State".