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“We believe the agreement signed in March 2009 to swap the national currencies is particularly important and we hope to implement it as soon as possible,” stressed the Vice Premier.

With the Chinese yuan as part of Belarus’ reserve assets, there will be major prerequisites for developing investment cooperation and stepping up the bilateral trade, noted Sergei Sidorsky. Belarus is ready to assist Chinese investors with implementing various projects.

Belarus and China are working on a project designed to upgrade the cement and energy industries of Belarus. A joint venture Horizont Midea has been set up to assemble domestic appliances. In China there is a joint venture Xiang Jiang Volat, which specialises in assembling wheel tractors. New projects are being carried out in China to set up joint ventures to assemble rock haulers BelAZ, tractors Belarus, and harvesters Gomselmash.

The two countries are expanding the scientific and technical cooperation. Belarus and China have adopted and are fulfilling a list of more than 200 scientific and technical projects. Cooperation in education and culture is developing rapidly. In 2008-2009 Belarus welcomed over 1,700 Chinese students. Belarus and China Culture Days are arranged.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, Belarus believes that cooperation with China is a priority avenue of the foreign policy. The Prime Minister said he was confident that Hui Liangyu’s visit to Belarus will boost the trade and economic as well as credit and investment cooperation.

In turn, the Vice Premier of the PRC State Council underlined China’s great interest in cooperation with Belarus. In his words, relations between the two countries have survived the test of time. Back in 2005 the meeting of the leaders of Belarus and China in Beijing started a brand new phase in the bilateral relations. New meetings between top officials of the two countries, top-level contacts contributed to the progress in the relations.

Signs of a breakthrough in the bilateral relations, especially relations in the trade and economic sphere, have emerged in the last twelve months despite the global financial and economic crisis. Now the parties have to implement the agreements in practice, the necessary conditions for that have been created, stressed Hui Liangyu.

The Chinese official said he was confident that the friendship between the two countries will continue growing stronger thanks to mutual contacts.

MINSK, 31 August (BelTA)