MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – The trade between Belarus and Pakistan should reach $1 billion, сo-chairman of the Belarus-Pakistan Business Council Brigadier Tariq Khalil told journalists before the session of the Belarus-Pakistan Business Forum, BelTA has learned.
“It is very likely that we will reach this level. This is quite an attainable goal, and we will try to accomplish it. To do this we need to take certain steps, including in the banking sector, to ensure that all the financial transactions between the banks of the two states go smoothly,” Brigadier Tariq Khalil noted.
In his words, Pakistani businessmen want to cooperate with Belarus. “The Pakistani side is interested not only in bolstering the bilateral trade, but also in setting up joint ventures. The most promising fields include machine building and textile industry. However, other areas will not be disregarded,” Brigadier Tariq Khalil pointed out.
He expressed hope that the ties with Belarus will allow Pakistan to develop closer cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union.
The program of the Belarus-Pakistan Business Forum features presentations of Belarus’ potential and the benefits and challenges of doing business in this country. Besides, the Pakistani guests will be briefed about the industrial capacity of Belarus. For their part, representatives of the Pakistani side will tell about the investment and business climate in their country.
The program of the forum also includes bilateral negotiations between Belarusian and Pakistani businessmen. Pakistani companies show interest in establishing business ties with Belarusian enterprises in chemical industry, textile industry (export of cotton and fabrics) and machine building (import of industrial equipment, quarry vehicles, farm machines, and spare parts for Belarus-made vehicles). The potential partners are also interested in processing and selling raw materials for construction industry and exporting farm products, including vegetables, fruit, legumes, crops, rice, and sunflower oil.