Belarus offers jobs to 150,000 young, skilled Pakistanis
Prime Minister Shehbaz hails move as a ‘gift’
STATE OF THE NATION
April 12, 2025
IN a major development in Pakistan-Belarus relations, President Aleksandr Lukashenko has extended an invitation to over 150,000 young and skilled Pakistani professionals to contribute to Belarus’s development efforts. The announcement came during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Minsk along with a high-level delegation.
The offer was described by PM Shehbaz as a “gift” for the people of Pakistan. He expressed deep gratitude, noting that the initiative would not only strengthen Belarus’s economy but also provide meaningful employment to Pakistan’s youth.
Speaking at a joint press conference alongside President Lukashenko, the prime minister assured the Belarusian leadership of the high quality of Pakistan’s workforce. “I assure you that the skilled Pakistani workforce, duly certified by international standards and national accreditation, will serve as a valuable asset to Belarus,” he said.
Shehbaz Sharif also pointed to opportunities for collaboration in agriculture and mining. “Pakistan is an agrarian country, with 65 per cent of the population residing in rural areas. We seek Belarus’s expertise in modern farming methods to enhance our per-acre yield,” he said.
He also noted that Pakistan holds mineral deposits worth “trillions of dollars” and emphasized the potential for both nations to become strategic partners in mining technology and development.
President Lukashenko reaffirmed Belarus’s commitment to building a strong partnership with Pakistan. He said the high-level meetings reflected mutual interest in fostering long-term strategic cooperation.
According to the Foreign Office, the groundwork for this visit was laid through a series of bilateral engagements over the past six months. These included the 8th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) held in February 2025 and a follow-up visit by a high-powered mixed ministerial delegation to Belarus in April.
During the current visit, Pakistan and Belarus signed 15 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), covering a wide range of sectors such as defence, commerce, environment, and interior affairs.
Among the key outcomes was the signing of the Roadmap for Comprehensive Cooperation for 2025–2027 — a three-year framework aimed at boosting economic, technical, and industrial collaboration. The agreement was described by the Pakistani side as a landmark step forward in bilateral relations.
In the area of defence, the two countries signed a programme of military-technical cooperation between Belarus’s State Authority for Military Industry and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production. The agreement covers the 2025–2027 period and outlines collaboration in equipment manufacturing, technology sharing, and training.
Other agreements included a Readmission Agreement and an MoU on cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries. Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin formally exchanged the documents.
The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported that the agreements aim to deepen bilateral ties and open up new avenues of partnership, particularly in technology, agriculture, industrial development, and vocational training.
The visit marks a significant milestone in Pakistan's diplomatic and economic outreach towards Eastern Europe, with Belarus emerging as a key partner in workforce integration and sectoral cooperation.