August 8, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 9, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Aug 7: The Belarus of Russia has expressed its interest to set up a manufacturing plant of Belarus tractors and assembling other agriculture related equipments in Pakistan.

The proposal came under discussion during Federal Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi with four-member visiting delegation from Russia, headed by Victor Chevtsov President of INFO Bank Holding Group, Belarus, Russia on Thursday.

The minister said Pakistan would welcome the investment from Russia and extend all facilities and assistance to them. He said that country’s manufacturing base was strengthening and more investment was coming to Pakistan.

The economic policies of General Pervez Musharraf have made the country viable for investment and assured them that there would be no change in the policies.

Jatoi said the country had developed vendor industry and making most of the auto parts locally and achieved the deletion level from 40 to 70 per cent.

The minister said that the government was giving priority to the agriculture sector and wanted to ensure availability of tractors and other agriculture equipments to the farmers at low price.

The investment from Belarus would meet the demand of tractors and provide job opportunities. The ministry would provide all the information, as the company requires, he added.

Victor apprised the company has four plants and manufacturing tractors, trucks, harvesters, equipments and complete machinery of agriculture cultivation.

He said that the main purpose of the visit was to find out possibilities of mutual cooperation with Pakistan in manufacturing sector. He said a technical team of experts would soon visit to Pakistan to evaluate the investment of Belarus.

The delegation also discussed possibilities of investment in manufacturing of trucks, auto parts, tractor engines and casting industries.