News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – All the prerequisites for raising Belarusian-Pakistani trade turnover to $1 billion are available. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement as he opened the Belarusian-Pakistani business forum in Minsk on 11 August, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko reminded that the goal of reaching $1 billion trade turnover was set during his recent visit to Pakistan. “All the prerequisites are available for it. There are goods that we need and there are goods that Pakistan needs,” said the President. “We have to set the goal of raising the trade turnover up to one billion U.S. dollars if we talk about numbers.”

The Belarusian leader went on saying that all the conditions for raising the trade turnover are in place: “Up till now the trade turnover has been very small - $50-65 million per annum. Positive growth dynamics has emerged. I am absolutely convinced that today’s forum will contribute not only to a considerable increase in our trade turnover this year but also to its increase in the next few years.”

Belarus-Pakistan economic relations demonstrate a tendency of making the transition from pure trade to manufacturing cooperation. Both sides are interested in it. Belarus welcomes the signing of two agreements in Islamabad in May 2015 to enable conditions for the full-fledged development of bilateral relations in the area of industrial cooperation and agriculture, said Alexander Lukashenko.

“Our countries can step up interaction in the production sector, power engineering, logistics, communications, and biotechnologies. The Belarusian side is also interested in the development of modern enterprises in the area of pharmaceutics, information and communication technologies,” noted the head of state.