MINSK, 11 April (BelTA) - Belarus and Pakistan continue to be good friends and reliable partners despite global upheavals and security challenges, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during an expanded-format meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Minsk on 11 April, BelTA has learned.
The head of state first thanked Shehbaz Sharif for accepting the invitation and visiting hospitable Belarus. The president also expressed regret that the visit did not take place in winter as was initially planned. "On the other hand, this will be an incentive to visit us again to see the beauty of Belarusian snow-covered forests," the Belarusian leader said.
"I find it symbolic that we uphold our traditions and exchanged visits quite promptly, as we did ten years ago with my friend and your brother Nawaz Sharif," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. He recalled that the first high-level visits to Islamabad and Minsk took place in 2015. Then the parties signed strategic political documents to develop bilateral relations: the Islamabad Declaration of Belarus-Pakistan Partnership and the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. "The constructive nature of these documents has stood the test of time. Despite global upheavals and security challenges, our countries have remained good friends and reliable partners," the head of state remarked.
The president pointed out that Belarus and Pakistan hold similar views on key issues on the global agenda. “Our interaction within international organizations is exceptionally constructive,” he said.
The president noted that during the ongoing visit the government officials and business people from both countries held very constructive talks. They discussed long-term cooperation prospects, reached agreements on a number of matters and signed contracts.
The opening of a direct flight between Islamabad and Minsk will facilitate the implementation of these agreements and will help promote bilateral business and humanitarian contacts. This topic was also discussed during the talks between the two leaders.
"If we promptly establish air service between Islamabad and Minsk, I am confident that we will make significant progress [in developing bilateral business and humanitarian contacts]. Moreover, if we bring in labor resources from Pakistan to Belarus (and we will do it), people will need quick air travel. We are ready to work in this direction and pursue this path," the president said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the two countries achieved a lot during the ongoing visit of Pakistan's prime minister. He noted that his long-time friend Nawaz Sharif played a significant role in this. "He acted as a mediator for us. I noticed that he supported almost all our initiatives. He will be happy if we advance our relations through concrete actions," the Belarusian leader remarked.
The president once again thanked the distinguished guest for the visit and expressed hope that such meetings will take place more frequently, both in Minsk and Islamabad. "I believe we will make great strides in our cooperation," the head of state concluded.
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