Автор работы: Пользователь скрыл имя, 10 Января 2012 в 15:47, научная работа
It is no secret that countries have always been involved in active exchange through political, economic and cultural ties. We can hardly remember any country that hasn’t undergone the stages of war, peace-making, trading, etc. All those actions are never done in isolation as almost every state is surrounded with some other ones and it’s absolutely natural that they have been collaborating for centuries.
Introduction 3
Chapter I. Cooperation As an Integral Process
1.1 Goals Pursued by Belarus and Great Britain in Cooperation 5
1.2 Factors Facilitating and Hampering Mutual Cooperation 7
Chapter II. Economic Activities
2.1 Priorities and Avenues of Foreign Economic Activities of Belarus 9
2.2 Economic Outline of Great Britain 12
2.3 Trade and Investment 16
2.4 Belarus Investment Forum in London 19
Chapter III. Spheres of Cooperation
3.1 Political and Military Cooperation 23
3.2 Tourism As an Important Sector in the UK Economy 28
3.3 Belarus Among the Top Ten Travel Destinations 33
3.4 Education 37
3.5 Culture and Sport 39
3.6 Charitable and Humanitarian Cooperation 41
Conclusion 43
Literature 45
In recent years, the UK economy has been managed in accordance with principles of market liberalization and low taxation and regulation. As of July 2009, the UK’s government debt was 56.8% of GDP. On 23 January 2009, Government figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the UK was officially in recession for the first time since 1991. It entered a recession in the final quarter of 2008, accompanied by rising unemployment which increased from 5.2% in May 2008 to 7.6% in May 2009. The poverty line in the UK is commonly defined as being 60% of the median household income. In 2007-2009 22% of the population lived below this line.
World economic growth, predictably, in a slowed-up way, Great Britain among the most suffered (supplement №3).
The British economy was reduced in the third quarter, under the specified data, to 0,6 percent in comparison with three last months, informs AFP referring to Bureau of national statistics. Falling became record since 1990. According to earlier estimation, falling of gross national product of the country has made from July till September of 0,5 percent.
In annual calculation the British gross national product, nevertheless, has increased by 0,3 percent, without having changed in comparison with the previous calculations.
The British economy has ceased to grow in the second quarter 2008 when gross national product remained invariable in comparison with previous year. Officially the state is not in technical recession as recession within two quarters is for this purpose necessary on end.
Gross
national decrease in the third quarter is fixed in the majority of the
developed countries of the world. Recession in economy is caused by
the global financial crisis which has led to growth of unemployment
and reduction of consumer expenses. In the USA of gross national product
has fallen on half-percent, and in an euro zone – to 0,2 percent (supplement
№4).
2.3 TRADE AND INVESTMENT
The UK is one of the main trade partners for Belarus. In 2008 the UK ranked the 6-th among Belarus’ trade partners outside the CIS by a volume of foreign trade turnover and the 4-th by a volume of the Belarusian export after the Netherlands, Latvia and Poland.
Bilateral trade figures between Belarus and the UK (in USD millions):
Period: Trade turnover:
2008/2007 100.2% (
In 2008 the trade turnover between Belarus and the UK reached more than 1.7 billion USD that was 100.2% compared with 2007. Due to world economic downturn and subsequent fall of demand for oil and oil products, the Belarusian export to the UK slowed down totaling over 1.45 billion USD (94.9%).
Since 2001 the Belarusian export to the UK has increasingly exceeded over import. In 2008 large excess of the Belarusian export to the UK over the import resulted in a positive trade surplus in about 1.2 billion USD.
In 2008 oil products overwhelmingly dominated in a list of the Belarusian export to the UK building up to 95.6% of the total export. Belarus mainly exported gas to the UK as well as petrol, kerosene and lubricants.
The
export without oil products accounted for around 75 USD mln. That was
126.9% compared with 2007.
The main export positions were as follows:
In 2008 Belarus imported from the UK engines for Belarus’ machine-building industry (14.5% share in import structure), passengers cars (12.3%) as well as frozen fish, synthetic resin, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, building and construction equipment.
In 2008 the UK invested 713.9.USD mln in Belarus’ economy including 42.2 USD mln of direct investments.
In 2008 bilateral trade in services between Belarus and the UK accounted for over 212 USD mln with the Belarusian export totaling over 109 USD mln (growth by 23.1%).
The investments attracted by the Belarus Investment Forum in London exceed 3 billion USD. A very large number of contracts were signed at the Belarus Investment Forum.
In
2009 Belarus increased export of optics and tractors to Great Britain.
The export of Belarusian optics is up 30% as against 2008. Belarus has
the same increase in the export of tractors and furniture. The Belarusian
Embassy in London constantly monitors the statistics on supplies of
Belarusian oil products to Great Britain. Recently, Belarus has opened
a subsidiary of the Belarusian oil company in Great Britain to trade
without mediators.
2.4 BELARUS INVESTMENT FORUM IN LONDON
The Investment Forum of the Republic of Belarus was held in London in 2008.
Attending the forum was governmental delegation led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus. The delegation also included the chiefs and top-ranking officials of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Ministers of Belarus, ministers and concerns, state-run organizations and banks and representatives of Belarusians mass media.
The forum was the first specialized event which the Republic of Belarus organized abroad in order to raise the awareness of foreign businessmen and investors about Belarus investment opportunities and to find certain foreign partners to attract foreign investment and high technology, establish long-term mutually beneficial business contacts in the strategic sectors of the Belarusian economy.
More than 500 delegates took part in the forum, more than 300 of them were representatives of foreign companies and financial institutions from 35 countries.
A plenary session and thematic meetings were held within the framework of the forum. Moreover, the Prime Minister held meetings, both planned meetings and the meetings that were agreed upon in the course of the forum, with representatives of foreign companies and political circles of Great Britain.
The forum was organized in such a way so that potential foreign investors could get familiar with comprehensive and objective information about the business and investment climate of Belarus.
In his speech Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov described the state and the development trends in certain sectors of the national economy of Belarus (foreign trade, transport and logistics system, innovation and privatization policy, personnel potential, agricultural and energy industries). He also familiarized the participants of the forum with the system-based measures that have been taken in Belarus to create a favourable investment climate.[7,p.2]
More detailed information about the investment climate of the Republic of Belarus was given by the heads of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, State Property Committee, State Customs Committee and the Administration of the High-Tech Park.
During the forums “the icons” of the international business, the heads of the international organizations, influential people of Great Britain noted that the investment climate of the Republic of Belarus was attractive and urged businessmen to invest in the Belarusian economy. More than seventy investment projects of Belarusian organizations who are interested in attracting foreign investment were presented in the course of the thematic sessions. Potential investors showed a big interest in the Belarusian investment projects. Belarusian and foreign companies reached certain agreements to implement joint projects.
The forum was accompanied by several meetings and negotiations of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus with political and business circles of the United Kingdom. Meetings with members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the United Kingdom were held. UK parliamentarians were interested in the country’s economic development, the liberalization of the Belarusian economy, development of the county’s industry, banking industry privatization. Questions regarding the alleviation of consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and recreation of Belarusian children affected by the tragedy were asked. The parliamentarians expressed the point of view that the stable development of Belarus during the global financial crisis deserves respect and instills confidence that the economic course which Belarus has chosen is the right one.
Considering the big role of Great Britain on the international political arena, the Republic of Belarus views it as a potentially important partner and would like to develop the relations on the principles of equality and mutual benefits. As it was noted during the meetings, the mutual interest in development economic cooperation predetermines contacts at the inter-agency level. The political will of the two sides to intensify the dialogue will help preserve these contacts and bring the economic cooperation onto a brand new level.
After getting familiar with the British agricultural and horse breeding firms, the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has started exploring the issue of organizing a visit of representatives of the horse breeding industry of Great Britain to the Republic of Belarus to start the joint work in horse breeding and development of elite breeds of horses in Belarus. During a visit to the Harrods shopping centre an agreement was reached to consider mutually beneficial cooperation, including a possibility of selling the Belarusian products (flax linens, alcohol drinks, furniture and others) through Harrods.
The big interest of the international business community to the investment forum of the Republic of Belarus in London shows that Belarus has a huge potential to raise foreign investments.
The
forum allowed Belarus to establish direct contacts with foreign partners,
inform the international community about its investment opportunities.
The agreements reached in the course of the forums will help raise additional
investments in the innovation and science-intensive branches of the
Belarusian economy. One of the main results of the forum was its positive
influence on the image of the Republic of Belarus as a reliable business
and investment partner.
CHAPTER III
SPHERES OF COOPERATION
3.1 POLITICAL AND MILITARY COOPERATION
The Republic of Belarus attaches a great importance to relations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, considering this country as an important political partner.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland were established on January 27, 1992. Opened in London in July 1993 the Consulate General of Belarus was upgraded to an Embassy in June 1994. The first Ambassador of Belarus to the UK was Vladimir Senko. The British Embassy in Minsk is functioning since May 1993.[3,p.17]
On February 8, 2007 the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Aleksandr Mikhnevich presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II.
Following the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and the UK quite an intensive political dialogue was created. There have been high-level Belarusian visitors to Britain in the past – Chairman of the Supreme Council in December, 1994 and Prime Minister in May, 1995. An exchange of visits of heads of a number of ministers took place, and contacts at a municipal level were established. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was one of the first in the European Union to ratify the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Belarus and the EU on June 14, 1996.
There are certain divergences in approaches of Belarus and the UK to global and regional problems that restraining development of full-scale Belarus-British political dialogue at present. Nevertheless, due to the mutual interest of countries on variety of essentially important spheres, contacts at interdepartmental level are maintained; inter-regional communications, and also business cooperation of two countries are developing. Cooperation with British charitable organizations which render Chernobyl-related assistance to Belarus is also actively developing.
Despite certain difficulties in the political sphere, trade and economic relations between Belarus and the United Kingdom have been successively developing until recently. The United Kingdom is one of the biggest trade partners of Belarus.
Belarus’s Investment Forums took place in London in 2008. The delegation headed by Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky visited London within the framework of the forum.
In
2009 Rosemary Thomas, Britain’s new ambassador to Belarus, spoke in
an interview with BelaPAN about prospects for the development of relations
between the two countries and Minsk’s dialogue with the European Union.
The UK will seek to encourage closer relations between Belarus and the
European Union, as well as such international organizations like the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the OSCE. The ambassador said: “Britain
has quite a broad experience of helping countries on the path toward
a market economy. We understand that Belarus holds its own opinion about
how and when it should make a transition to a socially oriented market
economy. But we fully support the purpose of the transition and we are
ready to provide assistance if need be. We are confident that a market
economy, although affected by internal difficulties, is still the best
means of using Belarus’ economic potential both at the level of companies
and people involved in it”. She noted a certain potential of the development
of our commercial relations. British businesspeople are showing an interest
in economic liberalization steps that have recently been made in Belarus.
They could consider investing in Belarus under certain conditions. The
UK wants to cooperate with Belarus more closely on the basis of shared
goals and values.
The key imperatives of the Republic of Belarus in foreign policy are:
Essential principles of our foreign policy are:
Essential goals of our foreign policy are:
Our foreign policy continues to be both holistic and flexible securing our independence, sustainable development and firm integration into global economy. Belarus believes that sound partnership with both Eastern and Western countries is a prerequisite for stronger atmosphere of trust, peace and better understanding among nations in our region.
The UK and Belarus enjoy a good military liaison relationship. Belarusian officers visit the UK in the framework of the OSCE’s 1999 Vienna Document on confidence and security building measures. In 2008 two officers of the Defence Ministry’s National Agency for Control and Inspections visited an air base in King’s Lynn, and the Royal School of Artillery in Larkhill. They also inspected Britain’s new PPV Mastiff armoured personnel carrier.
Also in 2008, for the first time a Belarusian officer has visited the UK to complete a course on “Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context”. This aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the key issues associated with the governance and management of defence and security. Belarusian officers also take part in English-language study programmes sponsored by the British Ministry of Defence. In addition, this year two Belarusian English teachers completed a “Train the Trainers” language training programme at Beaconsfield.
Belarus
and Great Britain are the UN founding member-states and therefore are
vested with special responsibility. Belarus is among few states that
has ratified all the international agreements on suppression of terrorism
and human trafficking. Moreover, it was Belarus that initiated the creation
of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in Europe and is the only country in the
world that without any conditions removed all the nuclear weapons from
its territory.
3.2 TOURISM AS AN IMPORTANT SECTOR IN THE UK ECONOMY
A Belarusian television poll has recently found out that Great Britain is the country that Belarusians most want to visit. But there aren’t many people from the Republic of Belarus visiting the UK. The British visa numbers suggest something like 9,000 - may be a little more - a year going to Britain which is one per cent of the population here. It is not much. Tourist companies are not coming here because they are not sure how they are going to operate and whether they can operate successfully. So something to be done on the reform of the economy before we can see increasing people-to-people exchanges.