An African trade delegation led by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is in Belarus for four days of discussions and negotiations targeting strengthened trade between Belarus and African countries.
The delegation, led Dr. Benedict Oramah, the President of Afreximbank, has been holding meetings with officials and bankers and visiting factories in Minsk and around Belarus to secure deals and partnerships between African and Belarusian entities to support Africa’s industrialization and improve trade relations.
In addition to several Afreximbank staff, the delegation includes business leaders from Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania.
On Monday, when it began its discussions, the delegation held separate meetings in Minsk with Gen.-Col. Victor Sheiman, Chief of Presidential Affairs of Belarus, the Belarus Potash Company, the Development Bank of Belarus, the National Bank of Belarus, and Belarusbank.
On Tuesday, the delegation visited and held discussions at the Belarus Hi-Tech Park, which hosts 25,000 software engineers and 159 software companies; OJSC Belaz, which produces 2,000 dump trucks per year; Minsk Tractor Works, which produces 120 models of agricultural tractors with its 13,000 employees, and Minsk Automobile Plant, which produces commercial trucks and buses with some 30,000 staff.
On Wednesday, the delegation is visiting JSC Naftan, which operates a refinery facility outside Minsk. The visit ends on Thursday with a final meeting with Gen.-Col. Sheiman, the Chief of Presidential Affairs of Belarus.
There was no reason why Belarus’ trade with Africa, which currently stood at $300 million per annum, should not rise to $1 billion, Dr. Oramah noted in his presentation to the Belarusians. He invited Belarusian Banks and financial institutions to become shareholders in Afreximbank and said that Afreximbank was ready to set aside $400 million as part of a programme to finance and promote trade between African countries and Belarus.
According to the President, Belarusian Banks and financial institutions should contribute matching funds to support the programme. Afreximbank would consider increasing its contribution to the programme if the initial amount got exhausted, he added.
In the meeting with Gen.-Col. Sheiman, the President said that Africa was in a hurry to develop and was looking for suitable partners to work with to achieve that goal.
With its expertise in mining, production of agricultural equipment, road construction, bridge building and pipeline development, Belarus was a natural partner which could supply the capital goods which Africa needed for its development, he said.
The President expressed similar sentiments when he met with the other institutions visited, urging the Belarus Potash Company to consider going into joint ventures with African businesses and the other companies to consider setting up plants in Africa to help the continent achieve the industrialization and agricultural production goals.
According to him, African countries are now giving priority to modernising agriculture, using fertiliser to increase productivity.
Earlier, Gen.-Col. Sheiman said that Belarus saw itself as a prospective partner for African countries and was ready to deliver industrial equipment and to set up local service facilities on the continent for in such sectors as agriculture, energy, infrastructure and mining.
Delegation members listen to explanations during visit to Minsk Tractor Works.
Elena Kudravets, Director General of the Belarusian Potash Company; Sergei Roumas, Chairman of the Board of the Development Bank of Belarus; Pavel Kallaur, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus; Alexander Polivko, Deputy Chairman of Belarusbank; Valery Tsepkalo, Director of the Belarus Hi-Tech Park; Petra Parkhomchyk, General Director of OJSC Belaz; Pavel Utiupin, Deputy Minister of Industry of Belarus, on behalf of the Minsk Tractor Works; and Vitali Hancharyk, Export Director of Minsk Automobile Plant, all expressed satisfaction at the visit of the delegation and promised to work to support improved trade between Belarus and the countries of Africa.
Accompanying the President from Afreximbank were George Elombi, Executive Vice-President, Governance, Legal and Corporate Services; Gwen Mwaba, Director, Trade Finance; Obi Emekekwue; Head of Communications; Richman Dzene, Special Assistant to the President; and Oluranti Doherty, of the Export Development Department.
Among the delegation are business leaders from Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania, including: Lucien Ebata, CEO of Orion Group; Roberts Orya, former CEO of Nigerian Export-Import Bank; Nnamdi Ezeani, CEO of Index Petrolube Africa Limited; Ibrahima Ciss, President of Cisscorp Holding; Dozie Mbanefo, Managing Director of New Crystal Communications Limited; Chike Okonkwo, Director of Lynden Integrated Farms; Kouao Niamoutie, Managing Director of Cote d’Ivoire Logistique; Kadim Ba , Deputy Managing Director of Carrefour Automobiles; M. Kamara, Managing Director of Global Interface Trust; and Uvesh Rajani, Managing Director of African Trade and Forfaiting Limited.