Karelia and Belarus are actively developing cooperation: the volume of exports from the Republic of Karelia to the Republic of Belarus has increased by almost 30%
The Karelian delegation took part in a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus Leonid Ryzhkovsky.
Karelia places particular emphasis on developing foreign economic relations. The Republic of Belarus is a traditional trading partner for Karelia. By the end of 2024, the exports from the Republic of Karelia to the Republic of Belarus increased by 29.3% in monetary terms. It is five times higher than the 2020 level.
At the meeting, Oleg Ermolaev, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Government of Karelia, and Leonid Ryzhkovsky, the Deputy Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus, discussed the plans for the future development. The key topic of the discussion was further development of modern logging equipment production at the OOO “Amkodor-Onego”, a subsidiary of the state-owned corporation “AMKODOR-LESMASH”.
The parties noted the project strategic importance for developing industrial cooperation between Karelia and Belarus, increasing the logging industry technological independence, and expanding domestic equipment production.
During the project implementation, the OOO “Amkodor-Onego” produced 294 units of equipment worth 6.2 billion rubles. The investments totaled over 1.1 billion rubles. More than 100 jobs were created.
In 2025, the company began producing new models of harvesters and forwarders. One of the models has already been tested at the Vologda Forestry Association and is currently undergoing trials at the AO “Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill”.
The meeting also discussed the issues related to organizing further interaction between the parties in other areas.
Currently, the Republic of Karelia supplies paper, cardboard, lumber, robotic fire extinguishing systems, and stone products to the Republic of Belarus. This year, a new niche for 3D printers was opened in the Belarusian market.
In turn, the industrial sector of Karelia is interested in the Belarusian heavy-duty machinery and specialized equipment for mining.
– Our mining industry is developing, and companies are actively purchasing heavy-duty equipment from the Belarusian manufacturers. I believe it's essential to continue working in this area, as well as exploring the possibility of acquisition of mining equipment from the Belarusian partners. A promising area for further cooperation is participation of the Karelian stone processors in construction and development projects in the Republic of Belarus, – emphasized Oleg Yermolaev, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Karelia.
