MINSK: Pakistan and Belarus on Friday signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various fields.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attended the signing ceremony.
The primary agreement includes military cooperation between the two defence ministries, along with a Memorandum of Understanding outlining a military-technical roadmap for the years 2025 to 2027.
Additional cooperation agreements were also signed between the respective ministries of Interior, postal services, and trade development authorities of both countries.
During the visit, Pakistan’s Frontiers Works Organisation (FOW) signed MoUs with Belarusian companies JSC M Kodor and OJSC MAZ.
Pakistan, Belarus agree to increase cooperation
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko also held a bilateral meeting in Minsk on Friday.
During the meeting, both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in food security and the production of electric vehicles and buses. They also decided to collaborate in the fields of agriculture and the manufacturing of farm machinery.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to boosting business-to-business ties and enhancing defence cooperation. Additionally, they agreed to develop a strategy to send over 150,000 trained and skilled Pakistani youth to Belarus in the near future for modern training.
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Their discussions also covered a wide range of topics, including trade, investment, and regional issues.
PM Shehbaz thanked Belarus for the warm hospitality, commending Minsk’s beauty and stressing the need for Belarusian companies to invest in Pakistan’s agricultural and industrial sectors.
He went on to say that Pakistanis residing in Belarus were contributing positively to the country‘s development.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the mineral deposits in Pakistan. He emphasised cooperation in this sector as well as in defence, textile and public transport.
President Lukashenko, on the occasion, highlighted the significance of relations with Pakistan, stating that there were vast opportunities for cooperation in multiple sectors.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a warm welcome upon his arrival at the Palace of Independence in the capital of Belarus. A guard of honour was presented, and the national anthems of both countries were played during the official ceremony.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Minsk on a two-day official visit to Belarus.
