Uzbek-Belarusian Women’s Business Forum
Anna Sergeeva, Director of our enterprise, took part in the Second Uzbek-Belarusian Women’s Business Forum, which was held from August 26 to 28 in Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. There she not only presented our company’s products but also delivered a report on their areas of application and spoke to attendees about the prospects of cooperation with Western Forest LLC.
The Uzbek-Belarusian Women’s Business Forum, aimed at uniting the interests and efforts of women entrepreneurs from both countries to foster partnerships and share experiences, was held this year for the second time. The first forum took place on September 4–7, 2023, in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Following the sessions of the first event, several agreements were signed between the two countries in science, education, and economics.
This year, the Belarusian delegation, led by Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalia Kochanova, consisted of business representatives from different regions of Belarus. Most of the delegation members were women.
We asked Anna Sergeeva to share her experience and impressions of the forum.
– Anna, was this your first time participating in the Uzbek-Belarusian Women’s Business Forum, and who invited you to join?
– Yes, it was my first time. The Belarusian Union of Women, of which I have been a member since November 2022, invited me to take part in this important event and deliver a speech. For reference, the BUW was founded back in 1991 and unites more than 150,000 women across the country with active civic positions. Together we are strong!
– Could you tell us how the forum was organized?
– The event consisted of two parts: an exhibition-fair, where the products of enterprises from Belarus and Uzbekistan were presented, and a plenary session with thematic meetings. On the first day of the forum, six sections were held in the following areas: medical and educational services, mechanical engineering, light industry, tourism, chemistry and woodworking, and agriculture.
I represented Belarus in the “Chemistry and Woodworking” section. In my presentation, I aimed not only to talk about Western Forest LLC and the products we manufacture but also to highlight the prospects of using wooden stakes in various areas of human life: construction, viticulture, gardening, recreation, and tourism. (Read the full text of the presentation).
– How do you personally assess the results of your participation in the forum? Did it help you establish new connections?
– First of all, such events are always a valuable source of useful business information and, of course, an opportunity to build new connections, including neural ones (laughs). While preparing my report, I was impressed by the work we have accomplished in the nine years of Western Forest LLC’s existence. Here are just a few interesting figures that I am proud of:
- Our total export trade turnover over these years exceeded $1.5 million.
- ЗSince the beginning of cooperation with Uzbekistan (which started relatively recently, in 2022), we have supplied goods worth $170,000 to this republic — more than 1,500 cubic meters of stakes. I believe the potential for cooperation with this region is enormous, and we plan to continue active development in this direction.
- The geography of our product deliveries includes not only CIS countries but also Poland, France, Italy, Spain, Georgia, Turkey, the Baltic States, Belgium, Russia, Germany, and others.
During the forum, Belarusian participants signed 40 documents worth more than 150 million BYN.
– Was this your first visit to Uzbekistan? What impressions did it leave you with?
– Yes, the forum also became a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with this amazing country. I was struck by Tashkent — a modern city with many contemporary buildings, comfortable and harmoniously designed recreational areas, luxurious parks, and fountains. And, of course, it is impossible to convey the delight of the local cuisine in words. Traditional Uzbek food is quite different from Belarusian cuisine, and for me, it became another exciting discovery of this trip.
I received tremendous energy from being surrounded by like-minded, successful women from different countries. It gives you the understanding that everything is within reach and opens new horizons of thinking. And new connections are always a point of growth.
