ISLAMABAD, August 12, 2026: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Yakovchits Aleksander in Islamabad to explore new avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, trade, investment and agricultural technology.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to encourage greater participation of enterprises and relevant stakeholders from Pakistan and Belarus in food exhibitions and agricultural trade fairs organized in both countries. The initiative would provide greater opportunities for businesses to showcase their products, develop partnerships and expand bilateral agricultural trade.
Both sides also agreed to facilitate the organization of online business-to-business (B2B) sessions in the fields of seafood, citrus fruits, mangoes, fruit puree, vegetables, including potatoes, seeds and dairy products. The sessions would help connect businesses from both countries, promote bilateral trade and strengthen commercial linkages.
The two sides agreed to facilitate reciprocal visits of trade and business delegations in the agriculture sector to promote partnerships, investment opportunities and exchange of expertise. The visits would provide a platform for businesses and investors to identify areas of mutual interest and develop long-term commercial partnerships.
The meeting also explored opportunities for cooperation in fish farming, with both sides agreeing to promote the exchange of knowledge, technology and best practices. The initiative would contribute to developing modern aquaculture practices and creating new opportunities for cooperation in the fisheries sector.
Both sides welcomed enhanced cooperation in seed trade and agreed to facilitate the mutual export of seeds. The cooperation would help strengthen agricultural trade and provide opportunities for access to quality seed varieties in both countries.
The Pakistani side proposed the establishment of 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 undertaken for evaluation of the proposed facility, including preparation of a list of necessary equipment and assessment of the suitability of sites proposed by the Pakistani side for establishing machinery testing stations. In this regard, both sides agreed to facilitate exchange visits by groups of highly qualified technical experts by the end of 2026.
The two countries also agreed to explore capacity-building cooperation between their respective plant quarantine organizations to strengthen phytosanitary systems. Such cooperation would support the development and implementation of effective phytosanitary measures aimed at preventing the introduction, establishment and spread of quarantine pests associated with traded commodities and their pathways.
The strengthened cooperation in plant quarantine would help 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 importance of translating bilateral cooperation into concrete commercial, technological and institutional outcomes. He said Pakistan was keen to expand engagement with Belarus across emerging areas of agriculture and food security while creating greater opportunities for businesses, farmers, investors and technical experts.
The Federal Minister and the Belarusian side 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.
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