Belarus president meets PM Shehbaz, expresses interest in purchasing Pakistani textiles

Published November 26, 2024
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Islamabad on November 26. — PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Islamabad on November 26. — PID

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Tuesday expressed interest in purchasing textile products from Pakistan in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

Lukashenko arrived in the capital on Monday for a three-day visit seeking to strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on boosting trade and econo­mic cooperation. The Belarusian president is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising government officials and representatives from leading business companies.

On Monday, the two countries [signed][2] eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements in various sectors.

Later in a joint press stakeout on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz said the two sides would again sit down this afternoon to hold a discussion on the roadmap for future cooperation.

He said the two sides would meet again in two weeks’ time to finalise and convert these discussions into practical steps, which would be followed by agreements in February, Radio Pakistan reported. Shehbaz underscored that this would be a great march forward for the two countries to benefit from each other’s capacities and capabilities.

In his remarks, the President of Belarus said Pakistan was never a distant land for him but a “very close and friendly country”.

The Belarusian president appreciated Shehbaz’s pragmatic approach, saying the two sides discussed a whole range of collaboration in areas from agriculture to defence.

He said his country was ready to share its technologies with Pakistan and expressed his country’s interest in purchasing various products, including textile goods from Pakistan.

Lukashenko also expressed interest in promoting cooperation in the fields of agriculture, information technology and heavy machinery manufacturing

Earlier, the two sides discussed the full spectrum of bilateral relations as well as important regional and global developments during delegation-level talks.

They reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries to deepen their political dialogue, strengthening inter-parliamentary exchanges and enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction at the current positive trajectory of Pakistan-Belarus relations and agreed to maintain this momentum through regular high-level engagement and institutional cooperation.

PM Shehbaz also accepted Lukashenko’s invitation to visit Belarus.

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz held a formal welcome ceremony in honour of Lukashenko at the Prime Minister’s house.

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