Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met on Tuesday to reaffirm their commitment to enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations at the Prime Minister’s House.
In welcoming President Lukashenko, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s deep appreciation for its ties with Belarus and expressed hope that the visit would strengthen cooperation across various sectors.
Read more: Belarusian President Arrives in Pakistan to Enhance Trade and Diplomatic Relations
The discussions covered key areas such as political relations, trade and investment, defense cooperation, and regional concerns, with both leaders sharing a vision for mutual growth. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in bilateral relations over the past decade and agreed to swiftly implement agreements to further solidify their partnership.
Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted his government’s export-focused economic policies designed to attract foreign investment, including from Belarus.
President Lukashenko thanked Pakistan for the warm welcome and termed his visit a “milestone” in bilateral relations. He emphasized the importance of the discussions and expressed confidence that the agreements would produce meaningful results.
Agreements and MoUs Signed
During the visit, several key agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed, including:
- Cooperation in science and technology.
- Collaboration between the Auditor General’s Office of Pakistan and Belarus’ State Control Committee.
- Joint efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
- Partnership between the Pakistan National Accreditation Council and Belarus’ Accreditation Center.
- International road transport agreements.
- MoUs on environmental protection, disaster management, and technical education.
- Financial intelligence cooperation.
These documents demonstrate a strategic effort to deepen ties in multiple sectors.
At the Pakistan-Belarus Business Forum in Islamabad, eight business-to-business MoUs were signed to foster trade. Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan emphasized the untapped trade potential between the two countries, encouraging stronger collaboration in sectors like energy, infrastructure, agriculture, telecommunications, and ICT. He noted Belarus’ prominence in producing durable tractors, which are a major import, and highlighted that surgical instruments make up 62% of Pakistan’s exports to Belarus. He called for the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers to improve market access for both nations.
Belarusian Energy Minister Alexei Kushna-Renko pointed out the mutual demand for agricultural machinery, petrochemical products, and dairy items from Belarus, alongside Pakistani light industrial goods and food products.
The visit, which also included a 68-member delegation of Belarusian ministers and business leaders, is expected to open new economic opportunities. Prime Minister Shehbaz assured President Lukashenko of Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the partnership with actionable steps and future-focused planning.
