Location for Belarusian port in Russian east to be chosen in 2024 - governor

MINSK. July 17 (Interfax) - The location for a Belarusian port in Primorye is expected to be determined this year, the eastern Russian region's Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said after a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday.

"We are now working on creating a joint port. [...] The People's Republic of China, I think, would also gladly participate as a partner. [...] We preliminarily talked [with the Belarusian side], I think we'll already decide on the choice of location this year, the most convenient, with both depth and some infrastructure," Kozhemyako was quoted as saying by state news agency BelTA.

He said this project is interesting "in light of the development of the Northern Sea Route."

Belarus needs a port in Primorye as a key transit point on the way to China. A team of Belarusian experts with experience carrying out port projects visited Primorye at the beginning of 2024, BelTA said.