Lithuania and Belarus to build a bridge between the West and the CIS

For the first four months of 2008 the trade of goods between Belarus and Lithuania increased by 30 % compared to the previous year. This figure was quoted by the Ambassador of Belarus in Lithuania Vladimir Drazhin at the opening of the Fourth Belarusian-Lithuanian Economic Forum in Minsk. Ambassador Drazhin said that Belaruisan tractors “Belarus” were still popular at the Lithuanian market, as well as “MAZ” automobiles. Also, Lithuanians have recently started buying Pinsk and Gomel furniture. Mutual trade includes 500 different commodities of which 90 are of particular significance.

Journalists asked the Ambassador whether trade relations between the two countries would be influenced by the economic sanctions on Belarus, introduced by the USA. Ambassador Drazhin replied: “I would ask you not to relate issues of the US sanctions to the Lithuanian Republic. The bilateral relations of Belarus and Lithuania are in the process of development and are based on the economy. The economic situation today allows me to say that there is a sustainable, dynamic process of development of bilateral relations”.

“Today I declare once and for all: some are trying to speculate on the fact that Lithuania joined the European Union and that it has joined the Schengen ‘zone’. Indeed, this is so, that is the reality. However we are close neighbours. We are connected via common history and culture, which define our bilateral relations”.

Lithuanian officials refrained from comments on the US sanctions. They stressed that it was an American initiative and Lithuania, being the EU Member-State, coordinated its actions with Brussels.

The Head of the Lithuanian Delegation, Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Vitautas Nauduzas, sees opportunities for economic relations between Belarus and Lithuania in the context of building  a bridge between the West and the CIS. In an interview with Radio Liberty he said:

“Lithuania already produces “MAZ” automobiles, “Belarus” tractors are assembled here as well and the northern regions of our country already started implementing other projects. These automobiles and tractors are sold outside the Lithuanian market as well. They are exported to a number of the EU Member-States.

What are the opportunities for increasing the trade of goods between our countries? We have to build a reliable bridge between the EU and the CIS countries. We should have strategic and more significant objectives, beyond bilateral relations between the two countries”.

The presentations of the Forum participants spot-lighted the current situation: cooperation is more efficient at the regional and local level so far. Where larger projects at concerned, malfunctions occur. Thus the President of the Industry Workers Confederation of Lithuania, Bronislavas Lubis, listed lots of examples where bureaucratic barriers from the Belarusian side ‘killed’ prospective projects.

Economic analyst, Tatiana Manenok, who was participating in the Forum, confirmed the intention of Lithuania to build a bridge. However she said there were problems from the Belarusian side:

“What do we lack? Mr. Lubis talked touched on this: we lack predictability. One issue is that Belarusian officials are not aware themselves what the electricity prices would be. Businessmen need to plan their work in a country. Obviously, there are other bureaucratic barriers, for instance, the issue of land allocation for building property is considered extremely slowly”.

At the Forum, the Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Lithuania, Vitoutas Nauduzas, also pointed out a fact:

“There was a Car Exhibition in Minsk two weeks ago. The stand of a Lithuanian company won the first place in ‘The Best Stand’ competition. However some problems were encountered by the President of the Campers Association, selling tourist buses, equipped for camping and two Lithuanian camping vehicles were expropriated regardless of the fact that they were brought into the country in compliance with all existing rules”.

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