Belarus is considering the possibility of using a Volvo plant in Russia for the production of MAZ trucks or buses, as well as electric vehicles. Ambassador of Belarus to Russia Dmitry Krutoy said that the Russian side is ready to provide space for the resumption of industrial production and the preservation of jobs, and will do it «virtually for nothing.»
The list of areas of interest to Minsk was compiled by the Embassy of Belarus and submitted to the government for evaluation by the relevant departments. Krutoy hopes that discussions between the parties will take place in the next three to four months, possibly at INNOPROM in Yekaterinburg.
Minsk is particularly interested in factories that previously produced agricultural or passenger equipment. This topic has already been discussed at the level of the governments of the two countries. Krutoy noted that the Volvo truck plant is a new turnkey production facility that could be used to produce MAZ trucks, passenger buses or electric vehicles.
In 2022, the European Union imposed a ban on the supply of trucks and special equipment to Russia. This led to a halt in production at Russian sites and a virtual cessation of imports of new vehicles and original spare parts by leading European, Japanese and Korean truck manufacturers. Among them were Volvo Trucks, Daimler Truck AG, Scania, MAN Truck & Bus, Mitsubishi Fuso, Isuzu and Hyundai.