Minsk expects increase of Belarusian-Ukrainian turnover to $5 bln in 2018

13:32, 26.10.2018 1 min read

Belarus and Ukraine may increase mutual commodity turnover to $5 billion in 2018, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Lyashenko said.

"Positive dynamics of trade and economic relations between our countries was observed in the past few years. We have managed to stop the fall that was in 2013 and resume growth," Lyashenko said at a plenary session of the first forum of Belarusian and Ukrainian regions in Gomel on Friday.

The amount of bilateral trade reached $4.6 billion in 2017 and went up 20% against 2016, he said.

"We project commodity turnover at $5 billion this year [an 8.7% increase from 2017]," Lyashenko said.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have decided to bring mutual commodity turnover to at least $8 billion in 2019.

Not only the governments of the two countries, but also the regions need to contribute to achieving this goal, Lyashenko said.