Muscat: On Wednesday, the Omani-Belarusian Business Forum convened to deliberate on strategies for enhancing economic and trade relations between the two nations, as well as to foster trade exchanges and address the challenges encountered by investors.
Organized by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), the event was centered around various economic sectors, including tourism, industry, logistics, import and export, food security, and information and communication technologies (ICT).
Eng. Hamoud Salim Al Sa’adi, the Acting Chairman of the OCCI, elucidated that the Chamber has been instrumental in bolstering economic and trade ties with Belarus over the past years through the organization of numerous high-level visits and meetings, which have yielded significant positive outcomes.
Alexei Bogdanov, the Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade in the Republic of Belarus, and the Head of the Belarusian delegation, highlighted that the forum is a reflection of Belarus's ambition to strengthen its relations with Oman.
He further mentioned that Oman presents numerous opportunities for Belarusian products to access promising markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Asia, positioning Oman as a potential gateway.
The forum underscored the importance of stimulating bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of industrial production, agriculture, and information technology.
Belarus expressed its interest in supporting cooperation across various sectors, with a particular focus on information technology, acknowledging the presence of an incubator housing over a thousand companies engaged in diverse fields of information technology.
Dr. Abdullah Masoud Al Harthy, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus and a member of the OCCI Board, noted that the Omani private sector views Belarus as an attractive economic and investment partner, in light of the efforts made to develop areas and opportunities for joint cooperation.
He explained that the Omani-Belarusian Business Forum provided a platform for business owners from both countries to deepen bilateral relations, explore trade and investment opportunities, and facilitate shipping, import, and export routes across various areas of mutual interest.
During the forum, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was established between the OCCI and the Belarusian National Centre for Marketing and Price Study.
This MoU focuses on the exchange of information pertinent to external trade, the business environment, opportunities for production and import, as well as investment and market trends.
Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Omani Euro Food Industries SAOG and Minsk Dairy Factory.
This agreement pertains to the field of information technology and advanced technologies.
Furthermore, another memorandum of understanding was signed between Omani Euro Food Industries SAOG and Minsk Dairy Factory.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerns collaboration within the retail sector in Oman, with the potential for expansion into adjacent nations and markets.
Moreover, the forum presented a platform for the exploration of significant investment and commercial prospects within the Sultanate of Oman. It further illuminated initiatives that align with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
In conjunction with the forum, numerous business-to-business (B2B) meetings were conducted between Omani and Belarusian entrepreneurs.
The event was graced by the presence of Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, alongside several officials from both countries.
