Tiraspol, 10 August. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Ministry of Economic Development, together with the business community, is actively working to increase exports of domestic goods, the deputy minister Natalya Sitkina told Novosti Pridnestrovya.
«We are doing a tremendous amount of work to promote our goods to Russia, participate in various exhibitions, fairs. Our delegation took part in a technology exhibition, which was held in Novosibirsk a few months ago. Following this event, we signed agreements and some Pridnestrovian enterprises have already begun deliveries and the export of goods," said Sitkina.
The joint work of ministries, other agencies and the business sector has already yielded tangible results, Sitkina notes. In the first six months, exports of Pridnestrovian products rose by 1.5 times compared to the same period last year. The volume of goods supplied to Belarus also increased. The PMR exports there peas, sunflower seeds, sugar corn, wines and clothes.
The total amount of Pridnestrovian exports totalled $254 million in the first half of 2017, which is slightly less than in the first half of 2016. Specialists explain this decline by the fact that Pridnestrovie did not supply electricity to Moldova in April and May 2017.
However, growth in export volumes in such industries as mechanical engineering (62%) iron and steel (29%), mineral products (29%), food (35%) almost completely cut off the lack of electricity supply, and as a result, the total volume of exports compared to the first six months of last year were reduced by 2% only.
The priority regions for export development in Russia are, according to Sitkina, Moscow, Voronezh, Bryansk, Udmurt, Orel, Novosibirsk Oblasts, as well as Tatarstan.
In order to establish trade contacts, representatives of the Pridnestrovian authorities and businessmen will take part in an economic forum, which will be held in Bryansk this October.
Also, a Pridnestrovian «business mission» will pay a visit to Tatarstan. The ministry expects this will help to establish trade relations and expand the volume of exports of Pridnestrovian goods to Russia's local market.
