On September 22 the first Belarusian-American Investment Forum will be held in New York City. Experts believe that the Investment Forum in New York will provide an opportunity to establish a more active dialogue between representatives of the two countries. Even against the backdrop of certain restrictions in the political sphere, economic relations between Belarus and the United States are not frozen.
Alexander Guryanov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus: “We hope that the main result of this event will be enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations, which in recent years show positive dynamics. Currently, the United States is one of the leading investors in the territory of Belarus, more than 380 joint ventures and foreign enterprises were created with the participation of American capital. Our annual bilateral trade in goods and services is over 1 billion dollars.”
Alexander Guryanov also said he hopes that the investment forum in New York will allow establishing a more active dialogue between representatives of the business communities of the two countries. “We don't expect we will be able to discuss ready grand projects and sign huge contracts. It will be a serious preparatory event, which, as we have agreed, will contribute to the new level of economic interaction between the two countries despite some contradictions that exist in another agenda,” noted the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister.
Natalia Nikandrova, Director of the National Agency of Investment and Privatization of Belarus, said that the event will be arranged as a discussion panel. Anyone present will be able to ask questions to representatives of government agencies that will participate in the forum.
The forum will be divided into three blocks. The first one will be dedicated to discussing Belarus' investment climate, national investment projects, and opportunities for cooperation in priority areas. The second block will focus on IT industry and science, while the third one will highlight trade and economic affairs, advantages of cooperation with Belarus in view of the Single Economic Space and the Eurasian Economic Union. The operation of the Belarusian-American business cooperation council will also be discussed.
According to Natalia Nikandrova, about 170 American companies operating in various spheres have registered to participate in the forum. Representatives of American scientific circles, non-for-profit institutions and consulting companies have been invited to participate.
The Director of the National Agency of Investment and Privatization of Belarus also said that they had signed a contract with a respectable media outlet for preparing monthly bulletins on investment opportunities in Belarus. These materials will be distributed during investment economic forums and about 200 various events to be held throughout the globe. “Our key goal is to tell the international community that Belarus is open to foreign investments and the conditions we offer are competitive and interesting,” stressed Natalia Nikandrova.