ISLAMABAD: Delegations from Pakistan and Belarus would meet in September this year to further promote bilateral trade and investments between the two countries.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further formalise the collaboration on Customs is also scheduled to be signed between Belarus’s State Customs Committee and Customs Wing of the Federal Board of Revenue.
Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission (PBJMC) has been working for enhancing bilateral economic cooperation in different sectors of economy, particularly in agriculture, energy, industries, investments and health sectors, official sources said. For the promotion of bilateral trade, both the countries would identify and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers which have been hindering the trade facilitation between the two countries.
Both the countries are interested in initiating direct flight to promote bilateral relations and for this purpose negotiations are also scheduled to be held in April this year in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Since the absence of banking channels is considered to be one of the major non-tariff barriers in promoting the bilateral trade, the central banks of both the countries would hold meetings in the mid of this year to improve banking contact, sources added.
Belarus has already assured its full support to Pakistan’s request for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union.
The country also aims to simplify visa procedures for Pakistani businessmen in order to enhance bilateral economic ties.
A delegation of Belarus led by the country’s Minister of Industry, Vitally Vovk during its recent visit to Pakistan in the beginning of this month held detailed discussions with the Minister of Commerce, Khurram Dastigir Khan and other concerned quarters to help promote bilateral trade, sources added.
The implementation over `Road Map of Bilateral Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the Short and Medium Term’ signed last year was thoroughly discussed by the two side.
The formation of sub-group of the Joint Trade Committee is also on cards which would help to identify potential commodities that could be exchanged between the two countries.
The two sides would also collaborate on training of Pakistani doctors and para-medical staff in higher education institutions of Belarus.
