Belarus offers to host 150,000 Pak workers

Express Tribune

12-04-2025

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Belarus had extended a generous offer to invite over 150,000 young, highly skilled Pakistani workers to contribute to the nation-building efforts of Belarus.
Calling it a "gift" for the people of Pakistan, the prime minister expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, highlighting that this initiative will not only benefit the Belarusian economy but also provide meaningful livelihoods to Pakistani youth.
"I assure you that the skilled Pakistani workforce, duly certified both by international standards and through national accreditation, will serve as a valuable asset to Belarus," the prime minister said while speaking at a joint press stakeout with President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Recalling the visit of Aleksandr Lukashenko to Pakistan in 2015-16, the prime minister said this visit laid the foundation of long journey of friendship and cooperation in areas of mutual interests.
The prime minister expressed the government's interest in benefiting from the experience of Belarus in various areas especially the agriculture.
"Pakistan is an agrarian country and 65% population reside in rural areas. We need your expertise to increase our per acre yield by utilizing the modern methodologies in the sector," he said adding that Pakistan needed to have joint ventures between Pakistan and Belarus companies. "The companies from both Pakistan and Belarus will have a win win situation in this regard."
The prime minister also highlighted the Belarusian expertise in manufacturing equipment of mining sector, saying that Pakistan had mineral deposits worth trillions of dollars and both countries could become great partners in this sector.
President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko on the occasion emphasized the importance his country placed on fostering strong ties with Pakistan.
He said that Belarus attached great significance to its relations with Pakistan and looked forward to deepening cooperation on multiple fronts.
Welcoming the Pakistani premier, President Lukashenko highlighted the potential for expanding bilateral collaboration in diverse sectors, including trade, industry, agriculture, and technology.
He expressed confidence that the high-level engagement would pave the way for long-term strategic partnership and mutual growth.
The president noted that the visit of PM Shehbaz Sharif would serve as a catalyst for opening new avenues of cooperation between the two nations. He stressed the need to explore untapped areas of partnership and to build upon the existing friendly relations.
Bilateral cooperation
Pakistan and Belarus on Friday agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in several areas including agriculture, food security, industries, trade, and defence.
During a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko here, the two sides also agreed to send 150,000 skilled Pakistani youth to Belarus to contribute to nation-building efforts of Belarus. A comprehensive strategy in this regard will be formulated soon.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to jointly work for the manufacturing of the agriculture machinery.
Similarly, it was also agreed to expand cooperation in manufacturing of electric buses and food security.
Furthermore, the two leaders also reiterated their resolve to boost defence and business to business cooperation.
The two sides discussed matters relating to trade, investment and regional issues and expressed satisfaction over the recent progress on all aspects of the bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his social media post on X highlighting his meeting with the Belarusian President said "We reviewed the entire spectrum of our bilateral cooperation, including political, trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts".
"Highlights of our talks included the agreement to send over 150,000 highly skilled Pakistani workers to contribute to nation-building efforts in Belarus; enhanced cooperation in agriculture and food security; and potential joint ventures in the manufacturing of electric buses and agricultural machinery—steps that will help transform our enduring bond of friendship into a lasting partnership", he added.
He added "President Lukashenko and I share a strong desire to continue elevating Pakistan-Belarus cooperation to new and greater heights".
MoUs
Pakistan and Belarus on Friday signed a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors, including defense, commerce and environmental protection.
The accords were signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official visit to Belarus, following his meeting with President Aleksandr Lukashenko and the delegation-level talks between the two sides encompassing discussions on different areas of cooperation as well as regional and international matters.
The two leaders witnessed the ceremony as ministers from both sides exchanged the pre-signed documents.
The governments of Pakistan and Belarus signed a Readmission Agreement as well as an Agreement on Cooperation between the interior ministries of two countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Belarusian Internal Affairs Minister exchanged documents.
Pakistan and Belarus signed an agreement on cooperation between the defense ministries of the two countries and the documents were exchanged by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin.
The two sides signed a Program (Roadmap) of the Military-Technical Cooperation between the State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Defense Production for 2025-2027. Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Minister of the State Authority for Military Industry of Belarus, Dmitry Pantus exchanged the documents.
During the visit, the bilateral accords were also signed for cooperation on environmental protection, postal services, business support, trade development and cooperation between trade bodies.