Assembly production, food supplies - Belarus and Oman expand cooperation

Belarus intends to soon launch its first assembly production facility in Oman. On April 1, the parties confirmed the agreements, with talks taking place in Muscat as part of the joint commission on cooperation and investment. The Belarusian delegation is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

It was noted that the dynamics of bilateral relations are impressive, facilitated by active political dialogue at the highest and highest levels.

Belarus - Oman: Implementation of Joint Projects

Minsk and Muscat have ambitious plans, and it is now important to begin implementing them. The talks in Oman are one concrete step toward moving from intentions to action.

The background is as follows: active political dialogue at the highest level, an exchange of visits in 2025. All this has resulted in a comprehensive roadmap for cooperation. It clearly outlines how the countries can benefit each other. Food security, industry, transport and logistics, and investment—tasks are set across various areas. To ensure that all this doesn't remain on paper, a joint committee on cooperation and investment has been established. This ensures systematic contacts and stable interaction between Minsk and Muscat.

The first meeting of the new committee is taking place on April 1, hence the heightened interest. What projects do the partners see as priorities, where and how quickly will we invest, and what's the status of trade turnover (currently around $8 million, but there is momentum)? The meeting participants shared their plans for the near future.

Leonid Ryzhkovsky, Deputy Minister of Industry of Belarus:

"We are maintaining our policy—from equipment supplies to the establishment of assembly plants. We already held a meeting with our partners today. We discussed this issue in detail. We are currently assembling MAZ, Amkodor, and POZHSNAB vehicles (based on MAZ chassis, respectively, which will be manufactured here). Therefore, the ministries have already signed a corresponding memorandum, and the companies have signed a corresponding agreement and roadmaps, and their implementation is underway. We hope to see the first deliveries of our vehicle kits this year."

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Alexander Yakovchits, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus:

"We already had a meeting today, and tomorrow we'll be working at the Ministry of Agriculture, and we'll be working at the business forum. Our goal is to expand our dairy product line, not just powdered milk and baby food, where we can grow in volume, but also to discuss the possibility of supplying butter and cheeses, as cheese is a significant import item in Oman (they import about 20,000 tons), and we could compete in this market in terms of quality and price."

One significant project is the construction of a pulp and paper mill in Belarus. This investment is worth almost $1.5 billion. The Oman Investment Agency supports this project and intends to move forward at a good pace.

It would be a shame not to utilize Oman's logistics. We want to create a Belarusian hub to promote our products not only to the Middle East, but also to Africa and Asia. Belarus has much to offer its partners, but we haven't yet learned how to trade effectively. The hub is expected to fix this.

And the creation of a tourism cluster in Oman to attract more Belarusians. Fortunately, there's now a visa-free regime—30 days a year without any visa formalities. It's eternal summer here, and everything breathes history. After all, it's not just business that brings countries closer together.