MINSK, July 17. /TASS/. Amid the sanctions, Belarus has increased its exports to Russia by 17% and by 1.5 times to China since the beginning of the year, Belarusian Economy Minister Alexander Chervyakov said on Sunday.

"Over the five months of this year, we increased our exports to the Russian market by 17%, or practically by a billion. Exports to China were increased by 1.5 times," he said in an interview with thee ONT television channel.

According to the minister, the trade surplus exceeded 1.7 billion US dollars in the first five months of the year. "It means that we [Belarus] are selling more than buying," he said.

The minister said earlier that in 2022 his country plans to increase exports to Russia by more than 30%, or by at least by five billion US dollars. The Belarusian government noted earlier that the sanctions had forced Belarus to re-orient its commodity flows from the markets of the so-called unfriendly countries and Ukraine.

According to Belarus’ National Bank, Belarus’ exports of goods and services stood at 17,371.0 million US dollars in January-May 2022, or down by 4.2% year-on-year. Imports reached 15,638.5 million US dollars, or down by 6.9% The foreign trade surplus was 1,732.5 million US dollars.