ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday vowed to strengthen Pakistan’s bilateral ties with Belarus in the fields of defense and technology, during a meeting with Belarusian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Victor Khrenin in Islamabad.
The meeting follows Sharif’s official visit to Belarus in April, where both countries signed a roadmap for military-technical cooperation between 2025 and 2027, as well as multiple agreements on trade, defense and industrial collaboration.
The two sides have since reaffirmed their commitment to expanding economic and strategic cooperation, with Pakistan aiming to attract foreign investment and benefit from Belarus’s manufacturing expertise, particularly in agriculture and heavy machinery.
“Pakistan and Belarus enjoy excellent bilateral relations that are growing stronger with time,” Sharif said, according to a statement from his office. “We wish to further promote economic partnership with Belarus.”
“We want to benefit from Belarus’s expertise in the manufacturing of agricultural machinery,” he continued. “Cooperation with Belarus in the fields of information technology and defense will also be further strengthened.”
The Pakistani leader also recalled the signing of several memorandums of understanding during his April visit, which he said would help expand bilateral engagement.
Sharif took the opportunity to brief the Belarusian delegation on recent regional tensions, including the April 22 Pahalgam incident, in which India accused Pakistan of involvement in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The prime minister reiterated Islamabad’s position that it had offered an impartial investigation, but instead faced military aggression from New Delhi.
“India responded by targeting civilian populations, killing innocent people,” Sharif told the delegation. “On May 10, Pakistan responded decisively in self-defense.”
The Belarusian defense minister conveyed a message of goodwill from President Aleksandr Lukashenko and thanked the Pakistani side for its warm hospitality.
“We want peace and stability in South Asia,” Khrenin said, adding the purpose of his visit was to follow up on the agreements signed during Sharif’s earlier trip and advance military and technical cooperation.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defense Production Raza Hayat Hiraj along with other senior officials.
