Pakistan, Belarus sign 8 MoUs to boost trade, cooperation

Pakistan and Belarus signed on Monday 8 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral trade and cooperation, a statement from the Ministry of Commerce said.

The MoUs were signed during the Pakistan-Belarus Business Forum in Islamabad, it added.

A 68-member Belarusian delegation comprising of senior government officials and businesspersons landed in Islamabad on Sunday, followed by the arrival of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Monday.

In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that President Lukashenko would hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discuss areas of bilateral cooperation and engagement. Several agreements and MoUs would also be signed during the visit, the FO said.

On Monday, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Belarusian Minister for Energy Aleksei Kushnarenko witnessed the signing of the MoUs between the two sides.

The MoUs include:

• Distribution agreement: a five-year cooperation agreement between JCS Bellakt and Nutrifood & Pharmaceuticals

• Supply agreement: cooperation between JSC Minsk Motor Plant and Shahzad Trade Links for product supply in 2025

• Memorandum of intentions: between JSC Belshina and Shahzad Trade Links for tire sales in the Pakistani market

• Veterinary drug supply contract: agreement between JSC BelVitunipharm and Mustafa Brothers

• Logistics cooperation MoU: between RUE Beltamozhservice and the National Logistic Corporation

• Pharmaceutical cooperation MoU: between RUE Belmedpreparaty and Bio Medical System for pharmacy registration and supply

• Metal supply contract: between JSC Beltsvetmet and Raas International Trading for 2025

• Agricultural machinery cooperation MoU: between JSC Tractor Works and Green Corporate Initiative

Speaking on the occassion, Jam Kamal Khan underscored the need for enhancing bilateral trade between Pakistan and Belarus through trade diversification, emphasising the untapped potential in sectors such as food, pharma, textiles, logistics, and energy.

He emphasised that the current trade volume did not reflect the economic capabilities of the two countries.

Prior to the forum, a sideline meeting between the ministers was held, where they discussed avenues for bilateral cooperation and agreed to establish working groups for energy and industrial collaboration, according to the ministry statement.

Belarusian President set to visit Pakistan very soon

They also decided to participate in two upcoming events: the FoodAg on Processing conference in Lahore in February 2025 and the Russian Industrial Forum in Belarus in June 2025. Jam Kamal Khan extended a formal invitation to Kushnarenko to attend the FoodAg event, it added.

Meanwhile, Minister Aleksei Kushnarenko emphasised the strong demand for Belarusian products, such as agricultural machinery, industrial goods, and dairy products, in Pakistan.

He noted a reciprocal interest in Pakistani light industrial goods and food products in Belarus.

“The existing cooperation potential allows us to set and achieve ambitious goals for advancing economic, trade, and humanitarian ties between our countries,” Kushnarenko was quoted as saying in the statement.

He expressed confidence in the forum fostering new joint ventures in trade, industrial production, agriculture, healthcare, and education.

Jam Kamal Khan emphasised the need to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to enable meaningful market access.

Belarus keen to work with SIFC on large tractor manufacturing

“This forum reflects the shared commitment to advancing our trade and investment ties,” he said, as per the statement.

Kamal called for expanding cooperation between the two countries to sectors such as agricultural machinery and the automotive industry.

The minister also highlighted the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries, including high-level visits and mutual participation in international forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Commerce ministry said.