ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Belarus on Tuesday signed a landmark visa waiver agreement for red and blue passport holders.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while speaking at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Aleinik, said one key outcome of the visit was the signing of an agreement between the two countries on abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and official passport holders.

“This landmark agreement will facilitate travel and exchanges between our two countries”, he remarked. He said an agreement was also signed between the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the Belarus Institute of Strategic Research. He noted that such agreements facilitate exchanges and research and lay foundation of stronger academic cooperation.

Describing his discussions with the visiting dignitary as fruitful, he said these covered wide-ranging areas of mutual interest. “Our long term goals for Pakistan, Belarus relationship include strengthening economic ties, expanding trade and investment, fostering scientific collaboration, promoting cultural exchanges and deepen people to people contacts”, he said,

He said Pakistan aspires to build a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with Belarus that contributes to the prosperity and well being of the two nations. The foreign minister said Pakistan was committed to maintaining high level engagements and exchange of visits with Belarus to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.“

The foreign minister of Belarus said: “We see Pakistan as a very valuable and reliable partner in South Asia and the Muslim world”. Stressing that this was the clear and consistent position of his country, he said, adding Belarus will always be a friendly partner of Pakistan.“We respect the right of countries to choose their path of development and oppose interference in the internal affairs as well as pressure and coercion in international relations”, he remarked. Despite geographical and global changes, it was the desire of the two countries to build on mutually beneficial ties.

He said they were considering further investment in Pakistan by setting up vehicles and tractor-manufacturing factory. He said Belarus like many countries was defending sovereignty and facing illegal pressure of the sanctions.

Meanwhile, a joint statement issued by the Foreign Office said: “During his two day official visit, Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, in addition to holding comprehensive delegation-level bilateral talks.

During their meeting, the two foreign ministers had a wide-ranging and substantive discussion on a variety of topics including political, economic, technological, cultural, educational and multilateral cooperation in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding. The two sides agreed to take practical measures to translate the mutual goodwill between the two governments and their peoples into tangible cooperation in different fields.

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the friendly relations based on mutual respect, friendship and trust established between the Republic of Belarus and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and highly appreciated the bilateral meetings and interaction at the highest and high levels that have taken place in recent years.

The ministers expressed their interest in strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the United Nations and other International Organisations on matters of mutual interest, and reaffirmed their readiness to mutually support each other.

Taking into consideration, that Feb 3, 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Pakistan, the ministers welcomed the intention to develop a plan of joint events dedicated to the anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2023