Business news

BREST, 8 September (BelTA) – There are plans to launch direct flights between Minsk and Islamabad, heads of the joint Belarusian-Pakistani intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation said during a meeting in the Brest Oblast Executive Committee on 8 September, BelTA has learned.

“We are working on launching direct flight connection between the two countries. We hope that the direct flight between Islamabad and Minsk will contribute to further development of trade and economic cooperation. This includes not only passenger flights but also cargo transportation. We are also doing our best to make our sea routes closer. This will help us make goods supplies cheaper,” Pakistan’s Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said.

“Despite the fact that we are located far away from each other, if we implement our ideas on the organization of the transport corridor and launch direct regular flights and container shipments, the transportation price will be affordable. I think that in the near future we will get access to Pakistani goods and Pakistan will get access to the goods from Belarus, including Brest Oblast,” Belarus’ Industry Minister Vitaly Vovk said.

In January-July the trade between Belarus and Pakistan totaled $30.2 million. Exports made up $23.3 million. There is a task to reach $1 billion in mutual trade. According to the heads of the intergovernmental commission, there is very chance to do it. Among the promising areas for boosting cooperation are processing and textile industry, machine tool and mechanical engineering, agriculture and pharmaceutics.

“Pakistan is a known producer of sports clothing, sports equipment, medical instruments. Belarus is interested in setting up such manufacturer and using Pakistani experience,” said Vitaly Vovk.

Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said that now the organization of a Belarusian exhibition in Pakistan is in the works. It is expected to be organized in Karachi next year with participation of Belarusian manufacturers.

Interregional cooperation holds great prospects. Brest Oblast will soon host a delegation from the Pakistani province of Balochistan, with which the Belarusian region signed a protocol of cooperation last November. An agreement of cooperation was signed between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Brest Oblast and the city of Karachi.

“We are interested in filling the document with concrete content, and developing long-term mutually beneficial contacts. We are open to dialogue,” said Chairman of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee Anatoly Lis.

On 7-8 September Brest is playing host to the third session of the joint Belarusian-Pakistani intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. The parties are discussing a wide range of issues relating to the areas of further development of bilateral relations. The Pakistani delegation visited OAO Brest Carpets, Brest Electric Lamp Plant, Santa Bremor, Savushkin Product Dairy.