Mar 30, Colombo: The Industry Ministry of Belarus would like to build cooperation with Sri Lanka across a wide range of areas, Belarus’ Deputy Industry Minister Aleksandr Yefimov said as he met with Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media of Sri Lanka Bandula Gunawardena, BelTA reported according to an Industry Ministry press report.

The talks were attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Russia with concurrent accreditation to Belarus Janitha Abeywickrama Liyanage, Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka to Belarus Dmitry Ruzanov and top managers of Belarusian industry giants.

Yefimov noted that it is very important for the Industry Ministry to promote trade and economic cooperation with Sri Lanka. “We have tremendous practical experience, skills, and competencies in mechanical engineering and are ready to share them with Sri Lankan partners. I am sure that a wide range of Belarusian engineering products will be in demand in Sri Lanka,” said the deputy industry minister.

According to Aleksandr Yefimov, cooperation in tractor making holds a lot of promise. Belarus is ready to offer the entire lineup of tractors, including tractors for agriculture and public utilities. In addition, a number of enterprises affiliated with the Industry Ministry produce all kinds of agricultural machinery.

“Thus, we can offer a turnkey solution, from the supply of equipment to its maintenance and warranty service. This can become a locomotive of bilateral cooperation,” the deputy minister informed.

For his part, Bandula Gunawardena showed a great interest in buying Belarusian electric buses and tractors. “We are ready to consider various cooperation options and assist in the implementation of joint projects,” he noted.

As a result of the talks, a decision was taken to form a package of proposals on potential areas of cooperation.