The Republic of Belarus is a developing European country with an open economy and a lot to offer international businesses. According to the National Agency of Investment and Privatisation, over the last five years, foreign direct investment flows into Belarus have increased five-fold.
“Minsk has all the essential ingredients to become a major European business centre, opening up great opportunities for investment in real estate,” said Gary Burrows, Deputy Director of Dana Holdings, one of Belarus’ largest real estate developers, during the opening of the Belarus stand at the international real estate show MIPIM.
“Minsk’s vigorous development in the last few years is a vivid testimony to this,” said Gary Burrows.
At present Dana Holdings is working on a number of promising projects in Minsk. In particular, the multifunctional residential compound Minsk Lighthouse (Mayak Minsk). It is a contemporary city block, which is being built in a prestigious part of the Belarusian capital close to the National Library of Belarus. Domestic and foreign investors also know well the Minsk Mir project, which comprises a business centre, the administration and retail complex Golden Clouds, a sport, entertainment, and retail complex, a multifunctional entertainment complex with its own hotel, office premises, underground parking, a multifunctional centre and sport facilities.
“The list goes on and on,” said Gary Burrows. “I am confident that everyone can find a project to their liking in Minsk.”
Dana Holdings has been representing Belarus at MIPIM in Cannes, since 2008. This year Dana Holdings used its stand to present its projects and the capabilities of Belarus’ entire civil engineering industry. During the fair a reception involving the Ambassador of Belarus to France Pavel Latushko was arranged. The Ambassador outlined the investment potential and appeal of Belarus.
“The international real estate show MIPIM is a unique and effective platform to present the investment opportunities of the Belarusian capital Minsk,” Pavel Latushko said at the opening of the Belarusian stand prepared by Dana Holdings.
“Belarus is interested not only in raising foreign investment. The country has done a lot for foreign investors to feel comfortable in Belarus,” Pavel Latushko stressed.
In the international ratings on the ease of doing business (first of all, in Doing Business 2015) Belarus is ahead of its main economic partners – Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The country’s strategic geographical position in Europe is also of great importance for investors.
“It allows Belarus to act as a kind of bridge between the huge market of the European Union with the 450 million population and the 170-million-strong market of the Eurasian Economic Union,” the Belarusian Ambassador noted.
The country has additional instruments to attract foreign investors: individual investment agreements concluded with the country’s government, preferences for investment in small towns, six free economic zones, the Great Stone Industrial Park, and the Hi-Tech Park.
“You can offer a project and rest assured it will receive a positive response from the authorities of the city and the country. For its part, the Belarusian embassy will provide all possible assistance in supporting investment projects in Minsk and Belarus,” Pavel Latushko said.
“The successful operation of Dana Holdings on the Belarusian market is a good example for potential foreign partners interested in cooperation with Belarus,” he said and expressed gratitude to the company for its fruitful work in Belarus and for its high-level presentation of the Belarusian capital at MIPIM 2015.
According to Gary Burrows, the projects presented on the Belarusian stand have already attracted the attention of potential investors and partners. “We plan a series of negotiations that, we hope, will be able to attract additional funding and new players to the Belarusian real estate market,” he noted.
Dana Holdings is an international investment and civil engineering group of companies that has been operating in Belarus since 2006. At present Dana Holdings’ portfolio of investment and construction projects includes over 9 million sqm of real estate with the total value of $27 billion.
