I go to Volma
The main program, of course, dealt with economic issues. Dmitry Krutoy went to industrial enterprises. So, the Volma company, which produces finishing materials, has a long-standing business relationship with Belarus. A gypsum factory in Stalingrad was erected in 1943, immediately after the end of the fighting – such a manufacturer was needed for the restoration of the city. Today, the enterprise group includes eight factories in Volgograd, Voskresensk (Moscow region), Angarsk (Irkutsk region), the village of Absalyavo (Tatarstan), Chelyabinsk, Orenburg and Maykop. All these companies annually produce more than one million tons of dry building mixes, 45 million square meters of drywall and about six million square meters of tongue and groove tiles. Dmitry Krutoy was shown how work is done in stores.- Supplies to the Republic of Belarus came from Voskresensk, where we have the largest company. The Belarusian market is small, but for more than ten years we have had a commercial department there,” said company founder Yuri Goncharov. – The markets of Ukraine and the Baltic States are inaccessible, that of Poland survived by twenty percent.Belarus has begun to actively participate in the electric transport program in the largest cities of the Volgograd regionThe Volgograd company made a significant contribution to the economy of Belarus by building the Belgips plant in the village of Gatovo, Minsk region. It is the only gypsum producer in the republic. Investments in the creation of the production amounted to 72 million euros. Volma shared the capital investment equally with the German company Knauf, which bought half of Belgips from Russian partners in 2017. Now this asset no longer belongs to Volgograd: they sold their half to the investment fund. German investment DEG.However, this does not mean that the inhabitants of the Volga have reduced their activities in the neighboring state: they are building a factory in Zhodino.
Here it is planned to produce plasterboard that is resistant to aggressive environments. Production is expected to start in 2026, but it is actually ready for launch in 2024. However, the company’s management is now assessing the prospects with extreme restraint. After all, construction began under completely different geopolitical conditions. And they focused on Europe as the main sales market, where these aquapanels are very expensive. But Belarusians will be forty percent cheaper. What will prevail for potential customers: obvious advantages or political considerations – hardly anyone can predict with certainty.
Exit to hallway
Strategic issues were discussed in the administration of the Volgograd region. Belarus is interested in the Lower Volga region because industry did not sink there at all last year: there are powerful metallurgical and chemical enterprises. It is also a developed agro-industrial complex.- Our relationships are strategic in nature. Last year, trade increased by 46%. Exports and imports are increasing, – says the governor of the region Andrey Bocharov. – 230 enterprises of the Volgograd region have partnerships with Belarus, we have six joint companies. The high level of interaction is linked to the position of the leaders of our states. And our task is to further integrate the economies.The foreign trade turnover of both sides exceeded 200 million dollars. This is one of the best results among all regions of the Russian Federation conducting economic activities with Belarus. Dmitry Krutoy thus defined his mission: to bring this figure to half a billion. Cooperation was strengthened under the previous one after Vladimir Semashko. Over the past three years, Volgograd farmers have purchased a lot of agricultural equipment from Belarus. Only tractors – more than a thousand. Particularly close cooperation has been established with the Vitebsk region. A number of Volgograd companies have declared their readiness to expand relations with Belarusian partners. 13 SMEs have already signed export contracts with companies from the neighboring country.
The meeting also discussed the prospects for school tourism and young people with a patriotic orientation. Soon, an exchange of children’s delegations is to be expected. But first, apparently, there will be an official visit of the head of the Volgograd region to Minsk. The ambassador, on behalf of the country’s leaders, invited the governor to visit Belarus. According to Krutoy, the head of the Minsk region wants to come to Volgograd in 2023.
One of the major problems is logistics. Volgograd is part of the North-South transport corridor. It is a developed railway junction and one of the airports operating in southern Russia. And the Volga and the Don, connected by a canal, provide access to the Caspian and Azov-Black Sea basins.- Our republic is in a difficult situation. The Poles are trying to block transit to Europe. The Ukrainian border is generally mined. And the new markets of Iran and India are important for us. Volgograd is the hub city of the North-South Corridor. Of course, reverse loading of transport is also of interest, so that the goods go back and forth, noted Dmitry Krutoy. – The main volumes of deliveries to us fall on the industry. Our equipment in all segments is presented there: tourism, utility, road and agricultural.Belarus has begun to actively participate in the electric transport program in the largest cities of the Volgograd region. We discussed a concession in the supply of trams and trolleybuses. The governor has requested the creation of a full-fledged service center. It may be interesting for Belarusian machine builders to switch cars to natural gas – a corresponding program is being implemented in the Volgograd region. So far, there are no ready-made solutions for agricultural cooperation, but the parties also saw great potential in this area.Until the pointBelarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko is expected to visit Volgograd at the end of March. The range of problems foreseen are logistics, the formation of a hub of Belarusian goods which could then be transported to third countries, the creation of new joint ventures. Within the framework of this visit, it is planned to hold a council on industry and energy, where the leaders of the big companies of the two parts are invited.
