‘Belarus can do a lot for Pakistan’

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko has paid an official visit to Pakistan

Belarus has always viewed Pakistan as a valuable and reliable partner in South Asia and the Muslim world, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised during his talks with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad

The Belarusian leader stressed that our countries have brilliant diplomatic relations, and we see the international agenda in the same way, “But we are far behind in trade-economic liaisons in terms of the opportunities that exist between our countries. 

We need to deepen and develop trade-economic relations. We will develop everything that interests Pakistan. We have everything that Pakistan needs today and, perhaps, even tomorrow. I mean the technologies that we have preserved since the Soviet Union, modernised and developed. We are ready to share this with Pakistan: defence industry, agriculture, transport, logistics, agricultural machinery, heavy trucks, electric transport… We can do a lot for Pakistan.”

For its part, Belarus is happy to buy goods produced in Pakistan. The President thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan for taking control of the issue of the supply of Belarusian equipment to Pakistan, including tractors and BelAZ machinery, “You know that we can supply you with the necessary amounts of food, including baby food. Our ministers will negotiate concrete actions.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov to lead this work, “I would like to ask you to ensure that not a single minister who is here as part of the delegation would leave the country without at least a couple of proposals for Pakistan. There should be no tourist trips, we need practical steps. Therefore, come to an agreement today as you meet in person, or meet tomorrow as much as you need — but agree upon something.”
The President sincerely expressed gratitude for the warm welcome of the Belarusian delegation in Islamabad and invited the Pakistani PM to pay a return visit to Minsk.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed that the Belarusian leader is a great friend of Pakistan and the parties have already been able to discuss a number of pressing and important issues in a one-on-one format. “You are a person of practice, so today we will try to talk less, but do more practical things,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
According to him, Pakistan is interested in the technologies available in Belarus — i.e. in heavy industry, mechanical engineering, and agriculture.

“We have our own products in the field of agriculture, as well as the textile industry which in many ways needs technology. Belarus can give us these technologies, and we believe your great country will be able to significantly help Pakistan achieve its goals,” the Prime Minister said.

During his official visit to Pakistan, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko also held a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir.

Islamabad, Pakistan 

Friendly advice to Pakistanis: take care of your country

Aleksandr Lukashenko, as an experienced and wise politician and statesman, allowed himself to give personal friendly advice to the leadership of Pakistan and the entire Pakistani people, “For me, Pakistan is not something far away. It is a very close and friendly country for us. Nawaz and I once agreed to intensify our relations, and we have done a lot since then. We are always concerned about what is happening in Pakistan. We were worried about you when the terrible flood happened. We are very worried about you if something happens here that is not supposed to happen in your society. We are also very concerned and worried about all the things that are going on today.”
It is no secret that the internal political situation in Pakistan has recently caused some concern. Opposition protests are taking place in the cities, and the police have to use force to subdue the rioters. The situation in the country has not been stable in this respect in the past years. In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that ‘there are scary changes in the world today that haven’t happened in centuries’, “The world is very turbulent, with changes happening every day. In this difficult time, only those countries will survive that will be united and whose people will be worried about the future of their country. The world is being re-divided. Strong, rich countries clashed in this ironclad fight. There are more than 50 wars and conflicts in the world today. There is a fierce struggle for leadership today, tomorrow and in the future. Your country, as a giant country, the fifth most populous in the world, is naturally involved in this whirlpool. You are well aware of Pakistan’s position in the international arena. You know what Pakistan wants. However, what you want is not in line with the desires of the major countries that are fighting for leadership nowadays. The US, the UK, India, Australia, (Japan and South Korea may join in) want to create a kind of Pacific NATO here, in the Pacific region. Pakistan, which wants to develop peacefully, may not be interested in this. So there will be attempts to destabilise the situation in your country, to stir up tensions. And the main thing I want to say (this already concerns the population): take care of your country. If you preserve it, you will have a place to live. If you do not preserve it, you will be in trouble. This is my friendly advice to you.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko,  Shehbaz Sharif on situation in Middle East and Ukraine

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif called for an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities without preconditions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon in their joint statement, adopted following the two leaders’ talks in Islamabad.
“Both leaders expressed deep concern over the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis and significant civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The parties called for an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities without preconditions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, strikes on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, ensuring uninterrupted and safe delivery of humanitarian aid, restraint against the threat of expansion of the conflict zone, and stressed the need to intensify efforts to achieve peace, stability and security for the entire region,” the document reads.
In a joint statement, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the basis of a two-state formula, in accordance with the decisions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly.
Aleksandr Lukashenko and Shehbaz Sharif also stressed the paramount importance of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the need for diplomatic efforts and constructive dialogue. They noted that the ongoing conflict has far-reaching consequences not only for the region, but also for global stability and security.
After the ceremony, Aleksandr Lukashenko presented Shehbaz Sharif with a certificate for two BELARUS-1025.3 tractors — to be donated to the Pakistani company Heavy Industries Taxila.

Informal meeting

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko had an informal lunch meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif. The two leaders met at the family residence of Shehbaz Sharif in the resort town of Murree. In the format of an informal lunch, the President of Belarus met with members of his family, including former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.

Peaceful resolution needed

Belarus is strongly against escalating the situation between Pakistan and India — as noted by Aleksandr Lukashenko during his talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in an extended format.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that he is well aware of the situation developing in Jammu and Kashmir. The uncertain status of this territory has long been the cause of conflict between Pakistan and India. “[Former Prime Minister of Pakistan] Nawaz Sharif showed me this territory from his house. We are strongly against escalating the situation between the neighbouring states. We will support you in this regard. There should be a peaceful resolution of this issue,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by