Pakistan, Belarus Open New Frontiers for Agricultural Trade, Investment and Technology

ISLAMABAD, August 12, 2026: Pakistan and Belarus have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, trade, investment and agricultural technology, with a focus on expanding business linkages and promoting mutually beneficial partnerships.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Yakovchits Aleksander in Islamabad.

Both sides agreed to encourage greater participation of Pakistani and Belarusian enterprises and relevant stakeholders in food exhibitions and agricultural trade fairs held in the two countries. The initiative is aimed at creating opportunities for businesses to showcase their products, establish partnerships and expand bilateral agricultural trade.

The two sides also agreed to facilitate online business-to-business sessions covering seafood, citrus fruits, mangoes, fruit puree, vegetables including potatoes, seeds and dairy products. The B2B sessions will help connect businesses, explore commercial opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

Pakistan and Belarus further agreed to facilitate reciprocal visits of agricultural trade and business delegations to promote investment, partnerships and the exchange of technical expertise. Such visits will provide businesses and investors with opportunities to identify areas of mutual interest and develop long-term commercial partnerships.

Cooperation in fish farming and aquaculture was also discussed, with both sides agreeing to promote the exchange of knowledge, technology and best practices. The initiative is expected to support the development of modern aquaculture practices and create new avenues of cooperation in the fisheries sector.

Both sides welcomed enhanced cooperation in seed trade and agreed to facilitate mutual exports of seeds. The cooperation is expected to improve access to quality seed varieties and further strengthen agricultural trade.

The Pakistani side proposed establishing a universal agricultural machinery testing facility or centre at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), with financial and technical support from Belarus. The Belarusian side took note of the proposal.

It was agreed that a detailed assessment would be conducted to evaluate the proposed facility, including preparation of a list of required equipment and assessment of sites proposed by Pakistan for establishing machinery testing stations.

To advance the initiative, both sides agreed to facilitate exchange visits by groups of highly qualified technical experts by the end of 2026.

Pakistan and Belarus also agreed to explore capacity-building cooperation between their respective plant quarantine organizations to strengthen phytosanitary systems. The cooperation will support the development and implementation of effective measures to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of quarantine pests associated with traded agricultural commodities.

The enhanced cooperation in plant quarantine is expected to safeguard agricultural production, improve phytosanitary standards and facilitate safe international trade in agricultural commodities between the two countries.

Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasized the need to translate bilateral cooperation into concrete commercial, technological and institutional outcomes. He said Pakistan was keen to expand engagement with Belarus in emerging areas of agriculture and food security while creating greater opportunities for businesses, farmers, investors and technical experts.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the growing cooperation between Pakistan and Belarus and reaffirmed their commitment to developing mutually beneficial partnerships in agriculture, food security, trade, investment, aquaculture, seed trade, agricultural machinery and phytosanitary cooperation.