OREANDA-NEWS. On January 20, 2009 In the framework of a visit of president of Belarus Olexandr Lukashenko a meeting between Minister of Economics of Ukraine Bohdan Danylyshyn and Ambassador of Belarus to Ukraine Valentyn Velychko took place.

The participants have touched upon the state and prospects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

In the process of the constructive dialogue interlocutors expressed satisfaction with an achieved level of interaction of economic complexes of Ukraine and Belarus, which is characterized with growth of amounts of bipartite trade in 2008 up to USD 5 bn.

“Bipartite trade and economic cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus have been developing dynamically over the recent years and has prospects of further development,” Bohdan Danylyshyn stressed.

Over January-November of 2008 general trade turnover (goods and services) with the Republic of Belarus amounted USD 4840.6 mn and has grown against January-November of 2007 by USD 2090.28 mn or by 76%, including with goods USD 4675.09 mn which has grown as compared to January-November of 2007 by USD 2029.15 mn or by 76.7%.

Besides, Bohdan Danylyshyn and Valentyn Velychko with attraction of representatives of central executive authorities of Ukraine and Belarus have agreed and initialed the text of Memorandum between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine and leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus on elaborating a system of measures concerning intensifying of bilateral trade and economic cooperation under conditions of the world financial crisis.

The goal of the Memorandum, according to the Minister of Economics of Ukraine, is minimization of fallouts of the world financial crunch on the state of trade and economic collaboration of the two states.

Signing of the instrument is planned for January 20, 2008 in the town of Chernihiv, during a meeting between the Presidents of Ukraine and the President of Belarus.