FAISALABAD: Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Pakistan, Mr. Ilya Kanapliou on Tuesday said that Belarus could launch a joint venture for tractor assembly and manufacturing of its parts in Pakistan.
Addressing the business community in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) here, he said, “Bilateral trade between the two countries is little and we must make collaborative efforts to increase it.” He said that a delegation of FPCCI was scheduled to visit Minsk to participate in a science and technology exhibition. “Interested businessmen from Faisalabad could also join it”, he said and added that a food exhibition would also be held next year and would open new avenues for the business community of Faisalabad. He said that Belarus had a well-developed chemical industry. “We are a leading producer of artificial yarn and fibre which could be exported for the textile sector of Pakistan”, he said.
Mr. Ilya said, “Belarus was exporting 2,000 to 3,000 tractors every year but this process was discontinued due to COVID-19 and now we are searching for a reliable distributor for the last three years.” Responding to a question, he said that 30 to 40 Pakistani students were studying medicine in Belarus and their number could be enhanced under cultural and educational exchange programmes. He also quoted a meeting between Belarus President Mr. Aleksandr Lukashenko and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif during side line meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
“A joint commission has been constituted to take necessary steps for the promotion of cultural and educational relations between the two countries”, he added.
He also proposed B2B zoom meetings to promote direct contacts between the business communities of the two countries. He endorsed the proposal to improve the banking channels between the Pak-Belarus.
Earlier FCCI President Dr Khurram Tariq introduced Faisalabad and FCCI and said that recent rains and floods had played havoc inflicting colossal loss to the national economy. He said that FCCI also played its role in rehabilitation of the internally displaced people and said, “We would construct FCCI Town in deep and remote areas of Balochistan.” He said that Faisalabad had the world’s largest industrial estate sprawling over 10,000 acres of land where Belarus could establish a tractor assembly plant and other joint ventures.
A question answer sitting was also held in which former vice president Bilal Waheed Sheikh, Mr. Azhar Chaudhry, Muhammad Tayyab, Saiful Qahar, Mian Abdul Waheed and other members participated.
Later President Dr. Khurram Tariq presented FCCI memento to Mr. Ilya Kanapliou, Deputy Head of the Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Pakistan, Islamabad while former President Syed Zia Alumdar Hussain offered vote of thanks.
