The two-day visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Belarus will surely go a long way in boosting ties between the two countries as the two sides signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to foster cooperation in various sectors and the leadership of the two countries vowing to take their relationship to new heights.
The PM summed up his talks with President Aleksandr Luka-shenko by highlighting the agreement to send over 150,000 highly skilled Pakistani workers to con-tribute 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 enduring bond of friendship into a lasting partnership.
President Luka-shenko highlighted the potential for expanding bilateral collaboration in diverse sectors, including trade, industry, agriculture and technology.
This upturn in bilateral relations assumes special significance as it comes within months of the successful visit of the Belarusian President to Pakistan in November 2024 when the two countries reached an understanding to deepen and diversify cooperation reflecting the immense political goodwill and commitment of their leadership.
Apparently, the outcome of the PM’s visit is aligned with the objectives and targets that the two countries fixed in the “Roadmap for Comprehensive Co-operation between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Belarus for the period 2025-2027”, which focuses on enhancing bilateral economic cooperation through various initiatives, such as high-level meetings, timely meetings of inter-governmental commissions and promoting collaboration in key sectors of mutual interest.
The decision of Belarus to import Pakistani skilled manpower in substantial numbers will not only help Pakistan by way of increased remittances and overcoming the issue of unemployment of qualified young people but also contribute to the process of nation-building in Belarus and can serve as a force multiplier in strengthening mutual understanding and goodwill.
We hope a strategy for the purpose will be prepared through mutual consultations and implemented at the earliest because of its potential to contribute towards the goal of meaningfully promoting bilateral relations.
The Pakistan Government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to develop its agriculture on modern lines and the country can benefit a lot from the experience of Belarus in the sector.
Currently, their cooperation is somewhat restricted to import of tractors, baby food and infant milk from Belarus but the Prime Minister has rightly proposed initiation of joint ventures between Pakistan and Belarusian companies, especially to increase per acre yield through use of modern technologies.
It is important to note that the two sides agreed to jointly work for manufacturing of agricultural machinery and expand cooperation in manufacturing of electric buses and food security.
The PM also highlighted the Belarusian expertise in manufacturing equipment of the mining sector, saying that Pakistan had mineral deposits worth trillions of dollars and both countries could become great partners in this sector.
Bilateral accords have also been signed for cooperation on environment protection, postal services, business support, trade development and cooperation between trade bodies.
Their economic cooperation and trade can improve a lot if both the government and the private sector of the two countries fast-track their search for ways and means to reduce trade barriers and facilitate market access.
There is also a need to build upon the understanding already reached between the two countries to adopt a collaborative approach to regional economic integration and connectivity and enhance the legal framework to facilitate bilateral collaboration.
Their plan to focus on joint scientific and technical projects under the umbrella of the Joint Commission on Science and Technology can also help accelerate the pace of progress and development in the two countries, therefore, needs to be pursued with the desired vigor.
