Despite being apprehended in diplomatic isolation for almost a decade, Pakistan made remarkable efforts to strengthen its diplomatic outreach in the Central Asian region. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent successful visit to Belarus was an appreciable step in this endeavor.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made solemn efforts to expand Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach in the region and beyond by visiting different countries one after the other. In the first four months of 2025, he visited five countries, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
Strengthening Pakistan-Belarus Ties
Shehbaz Sharif’s recent two-day visit to Belarus marked his 46th visit during his second consecutive tenure as the Pakistani Prime Minister. During this visit, he held a meeting with the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. The latter has already visited Pakistan multiple times. However, this was the maiden visit of PM Shehbaz Sharif to Minsk, further cementing the bilateral ties between the two countries. The two sides have demonstrated their commitment to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors during this visit.
Pakistan and Belarus have pledged to increase bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, and joint production of agricultural machinery. They have also agreed to collaborate on enhancing food security and joint manufacturing of electric buses. Unemployment has remained the prime concern for Pakistan for more than a decade. Therefore, Minsk’s offer to allow 150000 Pakistani skilled workers has been widely appreciated in the country. The Pakistani Prime Minister, in a joint press conference with the Belarus President, assured that the Pakistani skilled workers, given their national accreditations and international certifications, will prove a significant asset for the host country.
Belarus is technologically more advanced in the agricultural sector than Pakistan. The latter was once known for its agricultural land and yield. However, over the past few decades, Pakistan has suffered a significant loss in its agricultural yield due to climate change and a lack of modern technological advancement. Therefore, PM Shehbaz showed significant interest in forging agricultural cooperation between the two sides, as Pakistan could leverage the Belarusian expertise and knowledge to improve its declining agricultural yield.
Belarus is one of the major global manufacturers of construction and mining transport equipment, and dump trucks. PM Shehbaz visited the production facility and was informed by the Belarusian authorities about their country’s expertise in the production of battery-driven trucks with significant payload capacity, along with the production of electric dumpers and heavy trucks. Shehbaz Sharif expressed his desire for bilateral cooperation in the mining sector as Pakistan holds rich mineral deposits and resources, further cementing cooperation between the two fraternal countries. He invited his Belarusian counterpart to visit Islamabad to discuss and explore the venues of bilateral cooperation and the use of Belarus’ technological advancement in Pakistan, which was accepted enthusiastically by Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin. He also expressed his desire to visit Belarus again soon to hold detailed meetings to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two sides.
The Belarusian President Lukashenko reaffirmed Minsk’s willingness to further deepen its cooperation with Islamabad. He highlighted the strategic significance of bilateral cooperation between the two nations in diverse sectors, including technology, industry, trade, and agriculture. Lukashenko also appreciated PM Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts in boosting bilateral cooperation between the two sides. The leadership of the two countries not only signed numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) but also vowed to take this collaboration to a new apex.
The Road Ahead: Mutual Gains and Regional Integration
This successful visit demonstrates that the bilateral relations between the two countries have reached a significant level, due to remarkable political will and commitment on both sides, which could further deepen and diversify their cooperation across a wide range of sectors. This visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister was aligned with the targets and objectives of the Roadmap for Comprehensive Cooperation in 2025-27 between Islamabad and Minsk to enhance bilateral economic cooperation across a range of sectors.
Although relations between the two countries have strengthened in recent years, there is still significant potential to further enhance their cooperation. Both countries are among the developing countries of the world. Therefore, their bilateral cooperation can help them to strengthen their economies and industries. This could only be achieved through the commitment of the respective governments and private sectors of the two countries. They need to adopt means to minimize trade barriers to increase economic cooperation. Belarus is a landlocked country and Pakistan can provide it with an opportunity to its deep sea to increase and facilitate the former’s access to the global market. Pakistan can also prove a gateway to South Asia for Belarus, making their bilateral relationship mutually beneficial.
Taut Bataut – is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics
