Pakistan, Belarus agree to boost bilateral cooperation in key sectors

Belarusian govt invite 150,000 young and highly skilled Pakistani workers

Pakistan and Belarus have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors of mutual interest, following a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk on Friday.

Addressing a joint press stakeout after the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in learning from Belarus's expertise in agricultural and mining equipment manufacturing. He noted that with 65 percent of Pakistan’s population living in rural areas, the country’s economy is heavily reliant on agriculture.

Highlighting the potential for joint ventures, the Prime Minister said collaboration between companies from both nations to locally produce agricultural machinery in Pakistan would be mutually beneficial. He also emphasized the need to leverage Belarusian experience to boost Pakistan’s per acre agricultural yield.

In addition, Prime Minister Sharif pointed out the vast mineral wealth of Pakistan, valued in trillions of dollars, and called for greater cooperation in the mining, defence, textile, and public transport sectors.

He thanked the Belarusian government for its decision to invite approximately 150,000 young and highly skilled Pakistani workers, assuring that the workforce will be properly certified and equipped to contribute meaningfully to Belarus’s economy.

Earlier, the two sides signed several agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing cooperation in areas including Interior, Defence, Environment, Trade, and Economy.