MINSK/LONDON: Pakistan and Belarus Friday signed a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors, including defence, commerce and environment protection.
Belarus also agreed to employ 150,000 skilled Pakistani youth to contribute to its nation-building efforts.
The accords were signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Belarus, following his meeting with President Aleksandr Lukashenko and the delegation-level talks between the two sides encompassing discussions on different areas of cooperation as well as regional and international matters.
The two leaders witnessed the ceremony as ministers from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents. The governments of Pakistan and Belarus signed a readmission agreement as well as an agreement on cooperation between the interior ministries of two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Belarusian Internal Affairs Minister exchanged documents.
Pakistan and Belarus signed an agreement on cooperation between the defence ministries of the two countries and the documents were exchanged by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin.
The two sides signed a programme (roadmap) of the military-technical cooperation between the State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Defence Production for 2025-2027.
Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Minister of the State Authority for Military Industry of Belarus Dmitry Pantus exchanged the documents.
During the visit, the bilateral accords were also signed for cooperation on environment protection, postal services, business support, trade development and cooperation between trade bodies. The two sides also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in several areas including agriculture, food security, industries and trade.
During a meeting between PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Aleksandr Lukashenko here, the two sides also agreed to send 150,000 skilled Pakistani youth to Belarus to contribute to its nation-building efforts. A comprehensive strategy in this regard will be formulated soon.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to jointly work for manufacturing of agricultural machinery. Similarly, it was also agreed to expand cooperation in manufacturing of electric buses and food security.
Furthermore, the two leaders also reiterated their resolve to boost defence and business-to-business cooperation. The two sides discussed matters relating to trade, investment and regional issues and expressed satisfaction over the recent progress on all aspects of the bilateral relations.
The prime minister said that a significant progress in various sectors was made after the eighth meeting of Pak-Belarus joint ministerial commission held last year and visit of Pakistan’s inter-ministerial delegation to Belarus.
PM Shehbaz Sharif, in his social media post on X, highlighted his meeting with the Belarusian president. “We reviewed the entire spectrum of our bilateral cooperation, including political, trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts,” he said.
“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.
“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 PM said while speaking at a joint press stakeout with President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The PM expressed the government’s interest in benefiting from the experience of Belarus in various areas, especially agriculture. “Pakistan is an agrarian country and 65pc population reside in rural areas. We need your expertise to increase our per acre yield by utilising the modern methodologies in the sector,” he said adding that Pakistan needed to have joint ventures between Pakistan and Belarussian companies.
The PM also highlighted the Belarusian expertise in manufacturing equipment of mining sector, saying that Pakistan had mineral deposits worth trillions of dollars and both countries could become great partners in this sector.
President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko highlighted the importance his country placed 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. 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.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, Natalya Kochanova, and Chairman of the House of Representatives, Igor Sergeyenko.
The discussions focused on enhancing parliamentary relations between Pakistan and Belarus, with both sides emphasizing the importance of continued inter-parliamentary engagement.
PM Shehbaz noted the recent positive developments in Pakistan-Belarus relations and expressed a strong desire to further expand parliamentary exchanges.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif was given a guard of honour at the Independence Palace of Belarus where he arrived to meet President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Separately, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that PM Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Belarus was of utmost importance, which would prove helpful in further boosting the relations between the two countries.
Murtaza Ali Shah adds from London: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London on Friday night from Belarus for a brief two-day visit. PMLN leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will be reaching London on Saturday for two weeks.
The premier landed at Luton Airport and is expected to stay in the city over the weekend. He will then fly back to Pakistan on Sunday night to attend the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad. He was received at the airport by PMLN UK leaders Ahsan Dar, Rashid Hashmi and Khurram Butt.
PMLN sources said the prime minister would go for medical check-ups on Saturday and hold two meetings on Sunday. He had been undergoing health evaluations in London for many years.
The PM will meet his elder brother Nawaz Sharif at the Avenfield flats before leaving for Pakistan.
