Background

Nowadays Belarus is an important transit route for Russian gas supplies to parts of Western Europe. Belarus is also a major exporter of machinery, chemical and petroleum products. Today Belarus is still largely unexploited by the world’s businessman, but its convenient geographical location between Europe and Russia and plenty of intellectual potential provide an excellent environment for successful business. Setting up and doing business in this country will be challenging, but do not be afraid of the hard work, as your efforts will be paid off in the end.

Language

Belarusian language (which is also known as White Russian) has been the official language since 1990, before which it was Russian. The majority of the population speaks both Russian and Belarusian, and in addition many people also speak Ukrainian and Polish. A number of businessmen are fluent in English, but because the legal system of the country is quite complicated it is strongly recommended to rely on an interpreter when doing business in Belarus