Pakistan, Belarus agree to enhance collaboration

MINSK: Pakistan and Belarus on Friday agreed to enhance their collaboration in diverse fields of mutual interest.

The understanding came at a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko at Minsk in Belarus today.

During the meeting, they agreed to enhance cooperation in food security and manufacturing of electric vehicles and buses.

It was decided to jointly work in the field of agriculture and manufacturing of the farm machinery. The two leaders reiterated to increase business to business and defence cooperation.

Besides, they agreed to soon evolve a strategy to send over 150,000 trained and skilled youth from Pakistan to Belarus.

The two leaders exchanged views on diverse topics, including commerce, investment, and regional affairs.

They expressed satisfaction with the recent positive developments in all aspects of relations between Pakistan and Belarus. They reiterated the commitment to further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and economic and trade relations.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said significant progress has been made in various sectors of cooperation between two countries following the eighth session of the Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission held in Islamabad last year and the inter-ministerial delegation’s visit to Belarus this year.

Shehbaz Sharif expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s relations with Belarus and thanked President Aleksandr Lukashenko for the warm welcome and excellent hospitality extended during the visit to Belarus.

Later in a press stakeout, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan desires to learn from the expertise of Belarus in manufacturing of agricultural and mining equipment.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan is an agrarian economy and its sixty-five percent of population resides in rural areas.

He said joint ventures between the companies of both the countries to manufacture agriculture equipment in Pakistan will be a win-win situation. He said we also want to learn from the experience of Belarus to enhance our per acre yield.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the mineral deposits in Pakistan saying these are to the tune of trillions of dollars. He emphasized on cooperation in this sector as well as in defence, textile and public transport.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Belarusian government for its decision to invite approximately 150,000 young and highly skilled Pakistani workers, assuring that the skilled workforce will be properly certified and equipped to contribute meaningfully to Belarus’s economy.

“I assure you that the skilled Pakistani workforce, duly certified both by international standards and through national accreditation, will serve as a valuable asset to Belarus,” the prime minister said.

PM Shehbaz also highlighted the Belarusian expertise in manufacturing equipment for the mining sector, saying that Pakistan had mineral deposits worth trillions of dollars and both countries could become great partners in this sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Belarus President Lukashenko emphasised his country’s importance on fostering strong ties with Pakistan.

He said that Belarus attached great significance to its relations with Pakistan and looked forward to deepening cooperation on multiple fronts.

Welcoming the Pakistani premier, President Lukashenko highlighted the potential for expanding bilateral collaboration in diverse sectors, including trade, industry, agriculture, and technology.

He expressed confidence that the high-level engagement would pave the way for long-term strategic partnership and mutual growth.

The president noted that the visit of PM Shehbaz Sharif would serve as a catalyst for opening new avenues of cooperation between the two nations. He stressed the need to explore untapped areas of partnership and to build upon the existing friendly relations.

Earlier, the two sides exchanged signed documents of the agreements and Memorandums of Understanding. These agreements and MoUs were related to Interior, Defence, Environment, Trade and Economy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his social media post on X highlighting his meeting with the Belarusian President said “We reviewed the entire spectrum of our bilateral cooperation, including political, trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts”.

“Highlights of our talks included the agreement to send over 150,000 highly skilled Pakistani workers to contribute to nation-building efforts in Belarus; enhanced cooperation in agriculture and food security; and potential joint ventures in the manufacturing of electric buses and agricultural machinery—steps that will help transform our enduring bond of friendship into a lasting partnership”, he added.

He added “President Lukashenko and I share a strong desire to continue elevating Pakistan-Belarus cooperation to new and greater heights”.—NNI