Pakistan & Belarus share a cordial & friendly relationship & are committed to strengthening bilateral ties in future: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

ISLAMABAD, May 31 (SABAH): The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus calls on the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Sergei Aleinik, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, called on the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Wednesday.

Matters of mutual interest were discussed, including the commitments made during the 6th Session of Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) in January 2023 at Minsk, Belarus The meeting was also attended by Andrei Metelitsa, the Ambassador of Belarus to Pakistan, Igor Bely, the DG for Asia, Africa and Latin America, and Ilya Kanapliou, the Trade Councillor at the Embassy of Belarus to Pakistan, Humair Karim, the Acting Secretary EAD, the Additional Secretary, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, warmly welcomed the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus and highlighted that Pakistan and Belarus share a cordial and friendly relationship and are committed to strengthening bilateral ties in future. He appreciated the successful 6th Session of Pakistan-Belarus JMC, which paved the way for further cooperation in trade, agriculture, health, science & technology, tourism, and investment in the industrial sector. He further highlighted that Belarusian nationals can benefit from the Short-Term Training Program in Professional Training and Advancement Program (PTAP) under the three disciplines: banking, railways, and postal.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik showed keen interest on further enhancing bilateral ties and emphasized that trade between the two countries is far below the true potential and needs to be enhanced through G2G and B2B interaction, trade exhibitions and harmonization of banking procedures. He further highlighted the expertise of Belarusian bio & medical technologies, geological exploration, mining technology, agricultural equipment, fertilizers, and information & communication technology from which Pakistan can benefit. He also appreciated the Government of Pakistan’s outlook towards the enhancement of trade and commerce as well as the development of agriculture. Moreover, he highlighted the significance of the roadmap for trade facilitation between both countries to achieve sustainable development.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq apprised Sergei Aleinik that Pakistan has conducive policies for investment in food processing, pharmaceuticals, automotive, agriculture, textile, energy, construction, and tourism sectors. He highlighted Pakistan’s potential to export textile and agriculture products and medical and surgical equipment to Belarus while benefiting from Belarusian expertise for joint ventures in heavy machinery and plants. He emphasized further strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries utilizing the forum of the Pak-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission.

The Foreign Minister for Belarus extended a warm invitation to the Federal for Economic Affairs to visit Belarus. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from both sides.