Daily Times

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko arrived in Pakistan on Monday on his official three-day state visit.

He was received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Airbase. According to a curtain raiser by the Foreign Office, the Belarusian president “will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and discuss areas of bilateral cooperation and engagement”.

Additionally, the statement had said that several agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will also be signed during the visit.

Prior to his arrival, a 68-member high-level delegation from Belarus arrived in the federal capital on Sunday, which included Belarusian foreign minister, minister for energy, minister for justice, minister for transport, minister for natural resources, minister for emergency situations, and chairman of the Military Industry Committee.

Additionally, 43 prominent business personalities of Belarus are also part of the delegation.

The visit comes amid PTI’s final protest call, which has resulted in authorities sealing off Islamabad’s Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and secured the Diplomatic Enclave. Naqvi, who received the advance delegation from Belarus on Sunday, vowed that all protesters trying to enter the federal capital will be taken into custody.

Addressing a press conference, Naqvi said that the security measures were put in place to protect residents of the capital and their property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing thousands of people.

“Islamabad stands beautifully decorated to welcome the president of Belarus. This is a testament to government’s dedication to fostering strong ties worldwide. On the other hand, protesters are attempting to sabotage this significant moment. Such negativity won’t dampen our resolve for progress,” he said in a post on X.

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday met his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov here, wherein two sides underlined the importance of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

In the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed bilateral and regional issues and the agenda and the programme of the visit of President Lukashenko to Pakistan, who is scheduled to arrive here later in the day, according to a Foreign Office press release.

The two sides expressed satisfaction over the momentum of bilateral exchanges and high-level visits between Pakistan and Belarus and expressed the hope that President Lukashenko’s visit would further boost bilateral relations. The ministers also discussed key regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East. They expressed their support for a peaceful resolution of conflicts and underlined the need for a coordinated approach to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The two sides emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation in international and regional organizations to advance mutual interest and jointly address global challenges.