Pakistan, Belarus agree to boost trade

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Belarus have inked a series of agreements to ramp up bilateral trade and investment during a two-day Joint Ministerial Commission meeting. The talks, chaired by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Belarus' Minister for Energy Dzenis Maroz, saw commitments to facilitate online business-to-business sessions focusing on seafood, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and dairy products.

The duo also agreed to boost participation in agricultural exhibitions, food fairs, and reciprocal business delegations to foster partnerships and investment. In the realm of science and technology, Pakistan suggested initiating work on a mutual recognition agreement under an existing memorandum of understanding between the Belarus State Committee for Standardisation and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority.

This would help align standards, testing, and conformity assessment procedures, thereby facilitating bilateral trade.

Belarus also floated the idea of exploring cooperation in emerging technologies, such as water conservation, solid waste management, and wastewater treatment. Both nations expressed satisfaction with the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Trade, tasked with identifying new opportunities, tackling trade-related issues, and enhancing coordination between the two sides.

Commerce Minister Kamal stressed the importance of exploring new avenues for growth, diversifying markets, and identifying opportunities that could yield measurable benefits for both countries. Belarus' Minister Maroz echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the positive momentum in bilateral economic ties and the potential for mutual complementarity. Maroz also met with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to discuss possibilities of cooperation across various sectors.