Belarus’ and Pakistani foreign ministers exchange messages to mark 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations
On February 3rd, 1994, the Republic of Belarus and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan established diplomatic relations. To mark this occasion, Belarus’ Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik and Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani exchanged congratulatory messages – as reported by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Despite their geographical distance, Belarus and Pakistan enjoy long-standing relations that began long before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states. Citizens of Pakistan are well familiar with the word ‘Belarus’ from the same name of Belarus-made tractors, which our country has been supplying to the Pakistani market for over half a century.
Mutual opening of embassies in the capitals of both countries in 2014 and 2015 became an important milestone in bilateral co-operation.
A significant moment for the development of the entire complex of Belarusian-Pakistani relations was the first ever official visit of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 2015.
According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, the leaders of Belarus and Pakistan maintain regular contact, including holding meetings at international venues. The interaction of the two countries within the UN and other international organisations is friendly and trusting.
Over the past period, the parties have created all conditions for the development of full-scale collaboration across all areas, expanded the contractual legal framework, and organised the work of the necessary mechanisms of institutional interaction in the form of commissions, working groups and the Business Council. In 2015, the Joint Belarusian-Pakistani Commission on Trade-Economic Cooperation was set up.
The economies of Belarus and Pakistan complement each other. Belarus’ major exports to Pakistan include tractors, potash fertilisers, synthetic fibres, tyres, synthetic fibre tow, and baby food (dry formulas). Rice, food products, leather goods, fabrics, and sports equipment are the main imports to our country.
The work is currently underway to create an assembly plant for Belarusian tractors in Pakistan.
Interested government bodies, departments and business circles of Belarus and Pakistan maintain regular contacts. The parliaments of the two countries are also communicating, with all Belarusian regions establishing partnerships with Pakistani provinces.
The backgrounds have been created for the development of bilateral interaction in education, science and culture. A Centre for Belarusian Language and Culture was opened at the National University of Modern Languages of Pakistan while the Urdu Language Department was opened at the Minsk State Linguistic University.
The Belarusian Information and Cultural Centre was opened on the basis of the National Library of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, equipped with literature about the history, culture and nature of our country, alongside information materials about the formation of Belarusian statehood.
The Belarusian-Pakistani Centre for the Co-ordination of Sci-Tech and Innovative Co-operation was opened on the basis of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
To mark the anniversary of diplomatic relations, a festive news ticker in Belarusian and English was launched on Belarus’ National Library building.
The Communications and Informatisation Ministry of Belarus, together with the Marka Publishing Centre at Belpochta enterprise and the Belarusian embassy in Pakistan, has prepared a commemorative postal project on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
