07.12.2023
The IV Conference of Free Economic Zones of the Republic of Belarus took place in Brest. Representatives from ministries, departments, and administrations of free and special economic zones, as well as the Association of International Road Carriers (ASMAP) and entities engaged in foreign economic activities of Russia and Belarus participated in the event. Andrey Nalimov, Deputy Director General of SEZ Lotus JSC, represented the Caspian Cluster of Special Economic Zones.
The bettering of the logistics routes and cargo delivery through the International North-South Transport Corridor and the East-West Transport Corridor was a crucial topic of discussion during the conference. These two corridors have become strategically important for Russian and Belarusian shippers due to the current state of the external economy and the closure of several common routes. Products from Belarus are currently being transported through the ports of Astrakhan, and the volume of transportation is expected to increase significantly when the first phase of the Port SEZ in the Astrakhan Region becomes operational, enabling modern capacities for container transshipment.
On the background of the conference, SEZ Lotus JSC and the Brest FEZ administration signed a cooperation agreement aimed at increasing cargo transportation across the territories of Russia and Belarus and strengthening cooperation between the two economic zones. Andrey Nalimov, Deputy Director General of the Management Company of the Caspian Cluster, and Mikhail Samolazov, the Head of the Brest FEZ Administration, put their signatures on the document.
The International North-South Transport Corridor has now gained a special value. This corridor is one of the key directions for delivery of exported cargoes and import of raw materials and equipment. The port infrastructure of the Caspian Cluster of SEZs is being dynamically developed, and we are interested in attracting new cargo flows. We cooperate with special economic zones of Iran and India, as well as with partners from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. New Belarusian partners are also an object of our interest, – said Andrey Nalimov, Deputy Director General of SEZ Lotus JSC. He also acknowledged the rich history of the Brest FEZ and the large production volumes of its tenants.
This case of cooperation with partners from Belarus was not the first experience for SEZ Lotus JSC. In 2017, the Management Company of the Caspian Cluster of SEZs signed a cooperation agreement with the Administration of FEZ Vitebsk, and it also signed a memorandum of cooperation with Chinese-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park in 2022. In 2023, a cooperation agreement was signed with Mogilev FEZ Administration.
Source: https://www.astrobl.ru/.
Photo: the Brest FEZ Administration.