Pakistan keen to enhance defence cooperation with Belarus

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Pakistan keen to enhance defence cooperation with Belarus: PM Nawaz - The Express Tribune


Pakistan keen to enhance defence cooperation with Belarus: PM Nawaz
By Abdul Manan
Published: May 29, 2015
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. PHOTO: PRESS RELEASE


ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif affirmed on Friday said that Pakistan is desirous of enhancing its collaboration with Belarus in the field of defence.

“I am pleased with increased exchanges held between the two countries lately,” PM Nawaz told President Lukashenko at a meeting held at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

He added that “I am happy to be standing here with my distinguished visitor from the Republic of Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko who is in Pakistan on the first ever Presidential visit from this beautiful country.”


The Belarusian president arrived on May 26 for a two-day state visit. PM Nawaz welcomed President Lukashenko at the Nur Khan Airbase, and a 21-gun salute was presented as his plane landed. He was due to arrive earlier this week, however, his trip had been delayed due to the death of his mother. On Friday’s meeting, the premier offered his condolences to President Lukashenka.

Marking the importance of Belarus to Pakistan, the premier said that “Belarus is an important country and we attach high importance to our bilateral relations with it. We greatly value the visit by the President and his high powered delegation.”

Read: President of Belarus arrives in Islamabad on two-day state visit

He emphasised on the need to further increase the frequency of the bilateral visits.

“Pakistan is keen to forge closer ties with Belarus in all fields including trade, economy, defence and culture,” the premier said. ”Your visit will act as a catalyst in developing strong political and economic relations between the two countries.”

“We also agreed to continue our cooperation at international organizations and work for the UN Reform process in a manner that makes the world body more democratic, efficient and effective,” the premier added.

PHOTO: PRESS RELEASE

“We also need to encourage increased contact between our parliamentarians as it can build a cordial environment for the people of the two countries,” the prime minister urged.

Speaking about the bilateral trade volume, the premier said that it stands at $60 million and needs to be increased substantially.



“We need to establish close interaction between the respective chambers of commerce and industry to boost bilateral trade and investment,” he said. “There is a great scope for increasing the economic relations in the fields of textile, agricultural equipment, heavy machinery, tyres, pharmaceuticals, dairy products and transport.”

Read: Belarusian investors facing harassment

Concluding the address, PM Nawaz said that “I am convinced, that the Pakistan-Belarus Business Forum held the day before yesterday, will benefit the entrepreneurs of both countries. Being an investor friendly country, Pakistan provides excellent environment for foreign investors and I am convinced that Pak-Belarus joint ventures in various sectors are on the horizon.”

Due to the friendly relations between Pakistan and Belarus, a resident mission was established by Belarus in Islamabad in November 2014.

The trip marks the first ever visit by a Belarusian president to Pakistan.

 

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Pakistan proposes free trade accord with Belarus
By Our Correspondent
Published: May 27, 2015
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Pakistan proposes free trade accord with Belarus. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked Belarus to initiate the process of entering into a free trade agreement in an effort to streamline development of trade ties between the two countries.

Federal Minister of Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi floated the proposal during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Vitaly Vovk here on Tuesday, who expressed interest in setting up plants in Pakistan for the manufacture of automobile parts and assembly of buses, tractors and grain harvesters.

He was also keen on military-related manufacturing and assembly and sought recommendations from the federal minister. Furthermore, Belarus will also consider technological upgrade and expansion of existing facilities.

Assuring Belarus of Pakistan’s support in all ways, Jatoi invited Vovk to visit the Heavy Mechanical Complex in Taxila in order to gain a better understanding of infrastructure that Pakistan could offer.

He also spoke about the viability of joint-venture proposals and said the Ministry of Industries would assist Belarus in selecting the best possible investors from the private sector.

He suggested that Pakistan’s industrial parks should be used for trade and investment opportunities and assured Vovk that Belarus would be allowed to export manufactured and assembled products from Pakistan to regions across the globe.

Jatoi underlined the need of producing high-quality tractors and grain harvesters for modernising agricultural practices in the country.

Separately, a delegation of Belarusian businessmen, led by Mikhail Miatlikov, Chairman of the Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) for business-to-business meetings.

The delegation comprised businessmen from textile, metal, oil and chemical, agriculture machinery, food processing, pharmaceutical and other sectors. Ministers of textile, oil and gas and light engineering were also part of the team.

Speaking on the occasion, Belarus Chamber Chairman Miatlikov said both countries had signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), which was a first step for starting sustainable business collaboration.

He invited Pakistani businessmen to visit Belarus to explore opportunities of joint ventures and investment there.

Expressing the desire for long-term business partnerships, the ministers of Belarus said their country’s president would soon visit Pakistan, which showed that the eastern European country was keen to enhance trade and economic relations.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Mian Muhammad Adrees pointed out that both the countries were gateways for each other to huge markets of Asia and Europe.

He said the current bilateral trade volume of $60 million was far below the true potential and both should focus on increasing exchange of business delegations and holding single-country exhibitions for improving trade ties.

(With additional input from PPI)


Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2015.

 

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Defence cooperation with all CSTO members??