ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Minsk on a two-day official visit to Belarus.
The Prime Minister was warmly received at Minsk International Airport by Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin and officials from Pakistan’s embassy.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Shehbaz is visiting Belarus at the invitation of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, a foreign ministry statement said.
“During his stay, the Prime Minister will hold talks with President Lukashenko to review progress in areas of mutual interest,” it added.
Over the past six months, a series of high-level bilateral engagements—including the 8th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) in February 2025 and a subsequent visit by a high-powered mixed ministerial delegation to Belarus in April 2025- have laid the groundwork for a productive visit.
The two sides are expected to sign several agreements to further strengthen cooperation. The Prime Minister’s visit underscores the strong and ongoing partnership between Pakistan and Belarus.
The prime minister’s visit comes less than six months after President Lukashenko’s official trip to Islamabad in November last year.
It is worth noting that Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognise Belarus following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and has maintained diplomatic ties with it since 1994.
Despite this longstanding relationship, bilateral trade has remained relatively modest, with annual trade volumes ranging from $50 million to $65 million, according to the Belarusian embassy in Islamabad.
Belarus primarily exports tractors, trucks, potash fertilisers, synthetic yarns, and tires to Pakistan, while Pakistan’s exports to Belarus include rice, textiles, leather products, and surgical instruments.
