Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Tuesday underscored their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House.
Welcoming President Lukashenko, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan highly values its relations with Belarus and expressed optimism that the visit would pave the way for enhanced cooperation in various sectors.
The talks focused on political relations, trade and investment, defence cooperation, and regional issues, reflecting a shared vision for mutual growth.
The leaders expressed satisfaction with the progress in bilateral relations over the past decade and agreed to implement agreements expeditiously to solidify the partnership.
Witnessed the signing of 15 pivotal MoUs/agreements between Pakistan and Belarus today. These MoUs/Agreements pave the way for enhanced cooperation in vocational education, disaster management, environmental protection, science and technology, halal trade, exchange of… pic.twitter.com/CYlcbpNv07
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 26, 2024
Prime Minister Shehbaz outlined his government’s export-oriented economic policies aimed at attracting foreign investment, including from Belarus.
President Lukashenko thanked the Pakistani leadership for the warm reception, calling his visit a "milestone" in bilateral ties. He emphasized the importance of the deliberations and expressed confidence that the agreements reached would yield significant outcomes.
Later, the two countries signed MoUs and agreements in various fields, including exchange of customs data, vocational training, cooperation in the health sector, and international road transport, among others. Another MoU was signed on preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and other crimes.
Furthermore, MoUs were also signed on climate change, health, science, and technology, and extradition of wanted suspects. In addition, an MoU on cooperation in the e-commerce sector and emergency management was also signed. Agreements on halal food trade and accreditation were also signed between the two countries; besides, a roadmap agreement for 2025-2027 was also inked between Pakistan and Belarus.
MoUs and agreements exchanged
16 key agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed during the visit. These included:
- Cooperation in science and technology.
- Collaboration between the Auditor General’s Office of Pakistan and Belarus’ State Control Committee.
- Efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
- Cooperation between the Pakistan National Accreditation Council and Belarus’ Accreditation Center.
- An agreement on international road transport.
- MoUs on environmental protection, disaster management, and technical education.
- Collaboration in financial intelligence.
The exchange of these documents reflects a strategic intent to deepen institutional partnerships across diverse sectors.
A Pakistan-Belarus Business Forum held in Islamabad saw the signing of eight business-to-business MoUs and agreements aimed at boosting trade. Addressing the forum, Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan highlighted the untapped potential in trade between the two nations, urging increased collaboration in energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, agriculture, and ICT.
Minister Khan noted that Belarus is renowned for its durable tractors, which constitute a significant portion of imports from the country, while surgical instruments account for 62% of Pakistan’s exports to Belarus. He called for reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers to enhance market access for both nations.
Belarusian Energy Minister Alexei Kushna-Renko emphasized the mutual demand for agricultural machinery, petrochemical products, and dairy items from Belarus, alongside Pakistani light industrial goods and food products.
The visit, which includes a 68-member delegation of Belarusian ministers and business leaders, is expected to forge new avenues for economic cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz assured the Belarusian president of Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the partnership with concrete actions and future-oriented planning.
