Historical Background

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Pakistan recognized the Republic of Belarus on December 31, 1991.  Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 3 February 1994. Belarus opened its diplomatic mission in Islamabad at the Ambassadorial level in July 2014. The Pakistan Embassy in Minsk was established in August 2015. Since the establishment of resident diplomatic missions by both countries, bilateral relations have grown at an unprecedented pace.

Significance of Relationship

Leaders from both countries have paid visits to each other’s capitals and more than 80 Agreements/MoUs have been signed between both countries, about advancing cooperation in various spheres, including in the field of commerce and trade. Visits by multiple delegations in follow-up to the agreements/MoUs signed during the VVIP visits have further cemented the relationship.

The mutual will to develop the multifaceted bilateral relationship and nurture it in a friendly manner is enshrined in the Islamabad Declaration of Pakistan-Belarus Partnership signed on 29 May 2015, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Belarus inked on 10 August 2015 and the Joint Statement of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and President of the Republic of Belarus issued on 05 October 2016.

The following characteristics are the basis of Pakistan-Belarus bilateral relations:

• Effective, result-oriented, broad-based, and all-inclusive economic cooperation;
• Closer business-to-business interaction;
• Vigorous inter-parliamentary cooperation;
• Extending political support to each other at various international forums;
• Dynamic cooperation in the field of culture and education;
• Vibrant defence linkages;
• Striving for comprehensive inter-regional cooperation;
• Comprehensive and extensive legal base of cooperation.

High-Level Exchange of Visits

• From 28-29 May 2015, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko visited the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The visit was historic in that it was the first-ever VVIP visit between the two countries.
• From 10-12 August 2015, the then Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif visited the Republic of Belarus.
• From 9-11 November 2015, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Kobyakov visited Pakistan on an official visit.
• From 4-6 October 2016, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko paid the second official visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
• From 1-4 February 2017, the then Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mian Raza Rabbani paid an official visit to the Republic of Belarus.
• From 10-12 April 2017, the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko headed a delegation for an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
• From May 20-22 2017, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Federal Minister for Defense Production, visited Minsk for participation in the 8th International Exhibition of Arms and Military Machinery “MILEX”.
• From 16-19 December 2018, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Armed Forces of Pakistan paid an official visit to Belarus.
• From 21-29 June 2021, the Federal Minister for Defense Production, Ms. Zobaida Jalal visited Minsk to participate in the Belarusian Military Industrial Exhibition MILEX-2021.
• From 16-19 May 2023, Federal Minister for Defence Production, Mr. Muhammad Israr Tareen, visited Belarus to attend MILEX 2023 (International Arms and Defence Technology Expo).
• From 30-31 May 2023, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik visited Pakistan. During his visit, he met with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Economic Affairs Minister and the Chief of Army Staff.
• In addition to these visits, the leadership of the two countries have held regular interactions on the sidelines of SCO/CICA Summits during 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Consultation Mechanisms

Effective and meaningful cooperation has been a key determinant in the Pakistan-Belarus bilateral relationship. The following initiatives have been undertaken to streamline bilateral cooperation:

• Six sessions of Pakistan-Belarus Joint Economic Commission (JEC) have been held so far. The Sixth Session was held in Minsk, Belarus from 12-13 January 2023.

• Five rounds of Bilateral Political Consultations at the Additional Secretary/ Deputy Foreign Minister level have so far been held between both sides. The last round was held in Minsk on 27 July 2021.

• Numerous other mechanisms of bilateral cooperation exist between the two countries, including Joint Working Groups (JWG) for Cooperation in the Fields of Industry, Agriculture, Health and Pharmaceuticals, and Science & Technology. To date, three sessions of the JWG on Industrial Cooperation, six sessions of the JWG on Agricultural Cooperation, one session of the JWG on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Pharmaceuticals, and four sessions of the JWG on Cooperation in Science and technology have been held. In addition, the two countries have numerous forums to facilitate and institutionalize close cooperation between the business communities of the two sides, which include the Pak-Belarus Joint Business Council, Pak-Belarus Business & Investment Forum, Pak-Belarus Textile Forum and Pak-Belarus Agricultural Forum.

Commercial Cooperation

• During 2021, the bilateral trade turnover between Pakistan and Belarus remained at USD 92.55 million with total exports of USD 14.5 million from Pakistan while the imports from Belarus stood at USD 78.05 million. There is untapped potential for further expansion in trade.

• Five Sessions of Pakistan-Belarus Business and Investment Forums have been held since May 2015. The last session was held in Karachi on 10 March 2017, on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of Pakistan-Belarus JEC.

• To date, five sessions of the Pak-Belarus Joint Business Council (JBC) have taken place with the fourth session held on 12 April 2021 in virtual format under the auspices of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and Belarus Chambers of Commerce & Industry (BelCCI).

• Pakistan Belarus Joint Trade Committee (JTC) held its inaugural session in Minsk in May 2016, when both sides considered various options to facilitate bilateral trade and commercial cooperation.

• The First Pakistan- Belarus Agriculture Forum was held in Islamabad in April 2017, during the visit of the Parliamentary delegation from Belarus to Pakistan.

Defence Cooperation

• Bilateral Defence ties have been growing steadily. Highest-level visit on the defence side took place from 16-19 December 2018, when the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, paid an official visit to Belarus. From 29 August-02 September 2021, a high-level defence delegation led by the Director General of the Foreign Military Cooperation Directorate at the JSHQs, Major General Zahid Mahmood visited Minsk to participate in the Pak-Belarus Joint Staff talks and held negotiations with the Chief of the International Military Cooperation Department of the Belarusian Defense Ministry, Major-General Oleg Voinov.

• The third session of the Pak-Belarus Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation (MTC) was held in Minsk on 29 March-02 April 2021, co-chaired by Lt. Gen. (R) Sadiq Ali, Secretary Ministry of Defense Production and Rassalai Viachaslau Yevgenyevich, Deputy Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry.

• Defence delegations of Pakistan and Belarus have been regularly participating in MILEX (Belarus) and IDEAS (Pakistan), respectively.

People-to-People Contacts, Education, Culture, Etc.

• Currently, 38 Pakistani students are studying in various Belarusian universities. Several MoUs have been signed between the Universities of Pakistan and Belarus for cooperation in the field of education.

• Under the direction set forth by the Road Map on bilateral cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and Belarus, signed in May 2015, under the patronage of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the government of Pakistan hosted the second joint Pakistan-Belarus ‘Young Scientists Forum’ in Islamabad from 17th to 22nd December 2017. The purpose of this reciprocal forum was to show the high quality of research being conducted in Pakistan and to help identify opportunities for collaboration in high-priority areas of Science and Technology.

• In September 2023, during his visit to Gomel State Medical University to forge closer academic and cultural links between Pakistan and Belarus, Amb. Sajjad Haider Khan inaugurated the Pakistan Culture Centre at the university, which marked a crucial milestone in the bilateral relationship.

• In October 2016, Belarus inaugurated the Belarusian Language and Culture Centre in NUML, Islamabad.  During the visit of VCs/Rectors of Pakistani universities to Minsk, the Pakistan Urdu Language and Culture Centre was inaugurated in the Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU) on 9 November 2023 by Amb. Sajjad Haider Khan.

• To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Belarus, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of Belarus issued a special commemorative stamp on Tuesday, 26 November 2019. The class H stamp can be used for sending international written correspondence (letters, parcels, and small packages) with a circulation of 36,000 copies in total.

• In November 2023, Pakistan participated in the Minsk International Film Festival ‘Listapad’ and won four awards for the movies ‘Kamli’ and ‘Aik Hai Nigar’.

Pakistani Diaspora

The Pakistani community in Belarus numbers less than 100.

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