ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Belarus have agreed on a range of measures to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

The two-day Joint Ministerial Commission meeting ended with a commitment to facilitate online B2B sessions covering seafood, fruits, vegetables, seeds and dairy products. The session was co-chaired by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Minister for Energy of the Republic of Belarus Dzenis Maroz.

It was also agreed to enhance participation in agricultural exhibitions, food fairs and reciprocal business delegations to foster partnerships, investment and knowledge exchange.

In the field of science and technology, Pakistan proposed initiating work towards a mutual recognition agreement under the existing memorandum of understanding between the Belarus State Committee for Standardisation and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority.

The proposed arrangement would support the mutual recognition of standards, testing, and conformity assessment procedures and facilitate bilateral trade. Belarus also proposed exploring cooperation in emerging technologies, including water conservation, solid waste management, and wastewater treatment.

Both sides appreciated the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Trade to identify new opportunities, address trade-related issues and strengthen coordination between the two sides.

Mr Kamal highlighted the need to explore new avenues of growth, diversify markets and identify opportunities that could deliver measurable and tangible benefits for the institutions and peoples of both countries.

Mr Maroz noted the positive momentum in bilateral economic relations and the potential for both countries to complement each other.

Separately, Mr Maroz met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and discussed possibilities of cooperation across different sectors.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026