Belarus wants to boost military-technical cooperation with Pakistan - Lukashenko
MINSK. Dec 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Belarus stands ready to enhance military-technical cooperation with Pakistan, President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistani Armed Forces Zubair Mahmood Hayat in Minsk on Monday.
"As to military-technical cooperation, I will put it concisely: we are ready to present and show you everything you are interested in Belarus. And if you find it necessary to buy something from our military-technical produce or to create something together, we will quickly consider that and will make a decision on that,"the president's press service quoted him as saying.
Lukashenko stressed a huge role of the army in Pakistan's life and called Hayat's visit to Belarus historic. "The army in Pakistan is not just an army. You have a tremendous economic and social significance. Our army should learn from you how to work, earn money, use it, creating large enterprises," the head of state said.
"We are ready to join your economic and social work, and if you find some our goods, which can be used for the army and the needs of your country, we are ready to deliver these goods. In particular, to manufacture goods of this kind together with Pakistani specialists, setting up there local joint enterprises," he added.
The president also addressed the activity of the joint committee for trade-economic cooperation and suggested arranging a meeting between Belarus and Pakistani military officials, who are in charge of providing the Armed Forces with material supplies and socio-economic projects.
"We would be able to agree on joint work directly with your subordinates," Lukashenko said.
Speaking of trade-economic cooperation with Pakistan in general, the head of state said that Belarus has been fully determined to implement the agreement that has been reached to increase the bilateral trade turnover to $1 billion.
"This figure is little for the potential of our economies. But you should know that we in Belarus are fully determined to implement this agreement," the president said.