ISLAMABAD: The Belarusian Ambassador to Pakistan, Andrei Metelitsa, Thursday, while underscoring the need to enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Belarus has said that the President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko will soon visit Pakistan and both sides are expected to ink several trade and economic cooperation agreements.
The Belarusian ambassador said this while visiting the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), adding that the current bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Belarus is $60 million, while potentially it can increase manifold.
He said that during the upcoming visit of the Belarusian president to Pakistan both the countries will ink several trade and economic agreements to strengthen the existing partnership.
He said that Belarus is exporting heavy machinery along with fertilisers, agriculture equipment, synthetic filament tow, chemicals, malt extract, and other products to Pakistan, whereas, importing textiles, rice, citrus, leather apparel, leather footwear, and medical instruments.
The envoy further said that he is well aware of the fact that chamber houses always play an important role in the promotion of ties among the countries and that his Embassy will be ready to cooperate with ICCI in identifying Belarusian and Pakistani businessmen with a coinciding interest and connectivity.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that Belarus is an important country in Eastern Europe with which Pakistan’s Free Trade Agreement is inevitable and that an exchange of business delegations is needed to explore the untapped potential of both countries.
He said that in this regard, he will take the initiative to lead a delegation of the ICCI to Belarus.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of United Business Group Zafar Bakhtawari and Chairman Founder Group ICCI Khalid Iqbal Malik, while discussing the nature and strength of economic relations between Pakistan and Belarus, said that private sectors of both the countries will have to come forward to strengthen trade ties.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024