interviews, films, books and existing confusion today will disappear
from our bilateral relations. We are working on the issue and I think
rather successfully.
Republic of Turkey has significant experience of qualified specialists preparation in the sphere of tourists management, business administration.
In its turn, the higher educational establish-ments of the Republic of Belarus can propose a high level of education in fundamental sciences:
chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Kanbolat: Turkey established a visa free re-gime with Russia, signed such document with Ukraine. Can you define the term of a visa free regime establishment with Belarus?
Kolesnik: Today the holders of diplomatic and service passports enjoy visa free regime between Belarus and Turkey. As I mentioned, a number of Belarusians (150 000 persons per year), visit-ing Turkey, and Turks (9 000), gettvisit-ing acquain-tance with Belarus, is growing constantly. So,
both countries demonstrate the intention to es-cape the bureaucratic procedure of getting visas.
Developed tourist infrastructure, sun and warm sea attract Belarusian tourists considerably. Visa abolishment will strengthen the interest towards
|Belarus and Turkey as well as will increase the trips of businessmen. In both side’s opinion, visa abolishment will further business activities and as a result will increase trade turnover between Belarus and Turkey. And as you mentioned the experience of the Russian Side proves it. Talking about the term of visa abolishment, I would like to notice that both sides have intention to sigh and ratify the document without any unneces-sary delay.
Kanbolat: How is going on the development between Belarus and Turkey in cultural sphere?
Kolesnik: I think, culture is one of the most in-teresting dimensions of cooperation which al-lows everybody to unveil unique pieces of cul-ture diversity.
The Turkish Side organises festivals which attract Belarusians. The Belarusian artist groups partic-ipate in the events on a regular basis and with great pleasure. Belarusian distinguished Dance Group “Chabarok” is a constant guest at inter-national children’s festivals and is recognized by Turkish public. Folk Dance Group “Garadzens-kiya Karunki” (Grodno’s Laces) won sympathy of Turkish spectators during annual festivals. Guest performances of State Dance Group are always successful and as far as I know Turkish audience is waiting for the performance of this Group.
The Turkish children take part in annual Inter-national festival of Folk Art “A Wreath of Friend-ship” with pleasure and as well prepare to it. Last year together with the Turkish Side we managed to organise training courses by Belarusian Cho-reographers for the students at Ballet Depart-ment of Ankara State Conservatoire, Haceteppe University. The courses took place in Minsk at Choreographic School. But the existing contacts
don’t mean that it is forbidden to put full stop.
In my opinion, there is an unused potential for a great number of bilateral projects which will be of great interest both for the Belarusian and Turkish audience. I suppose, one of them is guest performances by Belarusian Opera and Ballet Bolshoi Theatre. The repertoire of the Theatre consists of bright and colorful performances.
The exhibition projects will be as well attrac-tive for the Belarusian and Turkish people. For example, it will be interesting to organise a joint exhibition of tapestry and espalier (a weaved wall carpet without pile and with a plot and pattern compositions) by Belarusian artists and of car-pets by Turkish masters.
Belarus is famous for the European school of tap-estry and espalier. As an example I can name fa-mous Slutsk’s belts (Slutsk is a town in Belarus), which were being weaved by Turkish and Persian masters on the invitation by Princes Radzivils.
15 years later Belarusian artisans achieved great results. Today Belarusian artists of tapestry and espalier have a fame of their inimitable in its style and colouring. In their turn Turkish masters re-flect centuries-old tradition of carpets. We know that there is a great variety of carpets in Turkey, including silk, cotton, wool carpets which are weaved according to the rules of classical tech-nologies.
Kanbolat: Is it planned to organise Days of Belarusian Culture in Turkey? How is it im-portant for the Turkish people from the angle of getting acquaintance with Belarusian cul-ture?
Kolesnik: Yes, you are right. Belarus and Turkey agreed on organising in anniversary 2012 Days of Belarusian Culture in Turkey and Days of Turk-ish Culture in Belarus. The Belarusian Side has planned a number of events. At the beginning of March a Round Table on Belarusian-Turkish Re-lations for universities representatives has been scheduled. I do hope that you and representa-tives from ORSAM will participate in this event.
An exhibition of Belarusian Painter Hanna
Ko-zok, the master of tapestry, will be opened at the Suna GOKGÜR ILICAK Art Gallery.
We also plan to show documentary and feature films about Belarus, its ethnic flavour, traditions and customs, picturesque nature. And during the year we expect Guest performances of State Dance Group. I hope that these events will draw attention not only those Turkish people who know and like Belarus but also those who don’t know about Belarus. The acquaintance with pe-culiarities of the other country is a fascinating process during which there is always a possibil-ity to fell the country’s unique, to watch its iden-tity. I think, this aspect is the most important of cultural events.
Kanbolat: Which associations calls Turkey among Belarusians?
Kolesnik: I believe I will be right if first of all underline the attractiveness of Turkey for Belar-usians from the angle of summer rest at hospita-ble seaside resorts. But more and more Belaru-sians pay attention to the richest historical heri-tage of your country. Today Belarusian tourists don’t limit their visits to Turkey only by spend-ing time at the seaside. They learn architectural masterpieces in Istanbul which engulfed Eastern charm and Western practicism, breathtaking landscapes in Cappadokia. The Belarusians feel
Büyükelçi Kolesnik, Cumhurbaşkanı Gül’e güven mektubunu sunarken.
special atmosphere at the places of Christianity:
Efes, where the Virgin Mary spent her last days, Mira, where St. Nicolas the Miracle-Worker was born and lived.
Along with the cultural richness of Turkey in re-cent years we as well have observed significant progress in social and economic development of Turkey. The achievements allowed your country to become the 16th economy in world, improve well-being of the Turkish people considerably.
Kanbolat: What can you tell about the Belar-usian-Turkish economic relations?
Kolesnik: We recognize a role the Republic of Turkey is playing in the regional and global con-text being a 16th world economy. Actually bilat-eral trade and economic relations between Be-larus and Turkey have been actively developing for recent years. For instance, if compared with 2004 volume of trade in 2011 showed almost 7 times increase and reached the amount of 447,7 million USD//123% (export 129//122%, import 318,7//122%). We believe this success will con-tinue in coming years. Of course, we should take into account the latest trends on global market to minimize a possible negative impact on eco-nomical cooperation and trade. Today the “road map” for bilateral trade and economic relations is Protocol of the 7th Meeting of Belarus-Turkey Joint Intergovernmental Economic Commission signed in Minsk on 3rd of November 2011.
This document provides:
creation of bilateral working group on industrial cooperation on the base of Ministry of Industry of Belarus and Ministry of Science, Industry and Technologies of Turkey;
strengthening broader cooperation in the fields of agriculture, construction, banking, energy, transport.
One of the main trends in economic relations between Belarus and Turkey is active
interac-tion on the level of small and medium enter-prises. In February 2012 in Ankara both sides (Entrepreneurship Department of the Ministry of Economy of Belarus and KOSGEB of Turkey) signed the Protocol of Cooperation. The docu-ment opens the opportunities for Belarusian and Turkish businessmen to cooperate in closer. Be-larusian market is open for the Turkish business and we are working hardly to improve the invest-ment climate in Belarus. The latest investinvest-ment projects with participation of Turkish companies in Belarus in construction and telecommunica-tion fields prove that we can achieve greater re-sults. We have to explore investment potential in the future.
Kanbolat: Which Turkish companies invest in the economy of Belarus? And vice versa? Do common projects exist?
Kolesnik: Turkish investment in economy of Belarus also shows positive dynamics. Total amount of the investment exceeded 30 million USD//300%. It is worth while mentioning that as far back as in 2007 the total amount of Turkish investment in Belarus was only 1,5 million USD.
As positive developments in this domain I could mention such investment projects as reconstruc-tion of Hotel Oktyabrsky into 5stars President Hotel in the Centre of Minsk by Turkish com-pany “Emsaş”, ongoing creation of new worsted line on the base of enterprise “Kamvol” by Turk-ish company “De Tekstil”, creation of a company
“BelEmsa” in free economic zone “Mogilev” to produce nature-friendly hygienic items, step-by-step involvement of TAYSAD companies in producing of spare parts for automotive sector on the industrial base of the City of Mogilev. The project of river-port construction in the South of Belarus by Turkish company TDRM is also ex-pected to be successful.
In general according to the Doing Business data for Belarus our country among 183 states ranks at 96 (changing in rank 22 upper) and is expected to rank at 69 in 2012 (Turkey is expected to go up at 71 to from 73).
Belarus as well is planning to more actively pen-etrate into markets of Turkey using the huge industrial and humanitarian experience inher-ited from the Soviet time. Here it is worth while mentioning the registration some years ago of a company BELNEFTEKHIM that represents the interests of petro-chemistry sector of our coun-try. Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) is investigat-ing the feasibility to create an assemblinvestigat-ing factory on the base of industrial infrastructure of Tokat together with Turkish partners. Minsk
Automo-bile Plant (MAZ) is also ambitious about closer cooperation with Turkish companies to produce here heavy trucks and other sorts of machinery under Belarusian brand.
Kanbolat: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for sharing your valuable information with us.
*This interview was conducted on 21 February 2012 in Ankara.
H.E. Mr. Valery KOLESNIK
Born on July 17, 1965, in Grodno, Republic of Belarus. In 1986 graduated from Blagoveschensk Higher Military Tank Command College, in 1994-Military Diplomatic Academy, in 1995-UN Scholarship Programme in the field of disarmament.
1986-1991: Officer of the USSR Armed Forces
1991-1994: Student of the Military Diplomatic Academy, Moscow
1995-1995: Third secretary, Department of International Security and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
1995-1997: Second secretary, Department of International Security and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
1997-1999: First secretary, Division of International Security and Disarmament, Ministry of For-eign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
1999-2000: Deputy Head, Department of International Security and Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
2000-2004: Counselor, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Kingdom of Belgium/Perma-nent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the EU/ PermaBelgium/Perma-nent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the NATO
2004-2006: Counselor, Division of International Security and Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
2006-September 2008: Head, Division of International Security and Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
September 2008 – (Continue) : Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Turkey
Married, has one daughter.
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