ASTANA – The organising committee on the preparation of the Belarusian national pavilion for EXPO 2017 has been set up, Kazinform reported recently. The relevant resolution was signed by the Belarusian Prime Minister on Sept. 1.
The committee will be chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vasily Matyushevsky. In addition, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Mikhnevich was appointed Сommissioner of the Belarus section at EXPO 2017 and Ambassador of Belarus to Kazakhstan Anatoly Nichkasov was appointed Deputy Commissioner.
The organising committee has been tasked with the preparation of the national pavilion. It is authorised to involve in its work, if necessary, any specialists or employees of Belarusian government agencies, as well as other organisations subordinate to the government.
EXPO is the biggest international platform to demonstrate technical and technological achievements. It was first held in 1851. The exhibition in Astana will be held from June 10 through Sept. 10, 2017 on the theme “Future Energy.”
According to Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belarus Yergali Bulegenov, Belarus and Kazakhstan are developing fruitful cooperation in many areas, especially in IT and space exploration.
In his words, Kazakh and Belarusian producers have a mutual interest and there are favourable conditions for the establishment of joint ventures. “Three years ago in May 2012, during the visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Belarus, our leaders instructed us to use more modern methods in trade and economic cooperation. Our mission implements a number of those instructions,” Bulegenov said.
Kazakhstan is the third largest partner of Belarus in the Commonwealth of Independent States after Russia and Ukraine by volume of exports. Foreign trade turnover between Belarus and Kazakhstan amounted to $1.2 billion in 2014. Compared to 2013, it increased by 23 percent. Between January and June 2015 the trade turnover reached $300 million. In comparison to the same period of 2014 it decreased by 33 percent.
