The Dutch business is showing an increasing interest in setting up joint companies with Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the Netherlands Nikolai Borisevich said in an interview to the Konyunktura Rynkov [Market Trends] magazine.
“We can see a growing interest from Dutch businessmen in setting up new joint ventures in Belarus, first of all, in woodworking, agriculture, logistics, energy, and healthcare,” the diplomat said.
In Belarus there are more than 100 companies with the Dutch capital. These are both joint ventures and foreign companies. As of 1 October 2018, the total investment in the real economic sector of Belarus from the Netherlands made up $822.6 million. The Netherlands placed fifth behind Russia, Cyprus, China and the UK.
Dutch companies produce beer, electric lamps, medicines, steelwork, plastic products, and also apples, carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes in Belarus. In 2018, the bilateral trade totaled $1.75 billion (up 24.9% from 2017), with Belarus posting a trade surplus. According to Nikolai Borisevich, there are good opportunities for closer cooperation in agriculture, cargo transportation, management of water resources.
“The Netherlands has achieved great successes in these areas and there are a lot we can learn from them, the ambassador said. “In my opinion, all prerequisites are in place for further intensification of bilateral cooperation in railway and automotive sectors. We can think over projects to set up a rail freight transport corridor from Rotterdam to China via Germany, Poland and Belarus, and to develop the railway terminal at the Belarusian border checkpoint Bruzgi,” the diplomat said.
Investment, industry, renewable energy, high technology, horticulture and floriculture, and creative industry are promising avenues of cooperation between Belarus and the Netherlands, the diplomat said.
