The 3rd Round of Pakistan-Belarus Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) was held in Minsk on May 11-12, 2017. The Pakistan side was led by Ambassador Zaheer A. Janjua, Additional Secretary (Europe), while Deputy Foreign Minister Valentin Rybakov headed the Belarus delegation. The two sides undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral ties and agreed to enhance cooperation in diverse spheres, especially in the fields of economy, trade, commerce, energy, industry, investment, agriculture, IT, science and technology, education, culture, tourism, defence and parliamentary exchanges.

The two sides also had a detailed exchange of views on regional and international issues of importance and agreed to continue collaborating at the United Nations and other multilateral fora. The additional secretary briefed about the Pakistan's efforts to reach out to Afghanistan and India. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to constructively contribute towards the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan as well as dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

He also highlighted the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian security forces against unarmed innocent Kashmiri civilians. The additional secretary briefed the Belarus side on Pakistan's credentials for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and emphasized the need for a criteria-based, non-discriminatory approach for new non-NPT member states.

Pakistan and Belarus closely cooperate on bilateral and multilateral issues. The Annual Bilateral Political Consultations provide a useful platform to review progress in various fields and identify opportunities for future cooperation. The second session of BPC was held in October 2015 and the fourth session will be held in Islamabad at mutually convenient dates.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017