Lukashenko's visit sends ripples in West

ISLAMABAD:

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko returned home on Wednesday after a three-day official visit to Pakistan. His trip went under the radar or did not get much traction since the focus was more on the Tehreek-e-Insaf protest, dubbed as final call to seek the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

When police backed by paramilitary units were trying to control the situation on the streets of Islamabad, Pakistan and Belarus were holding high-level talks at the Prime Minister House.

Lukashenko is currently the longest serving president in the world as he became head of state in 1994. Belarus was part of former Soviet Union till its disintegration in 1991. But despite breaking away from the Soviet Union, Belarus has maintained close ties with Russia.

Under Lukashenko, the relationship between Russia and Belarus improved so much that the West has often viewed Minsk as a satellite state of Moscow.

Russia maintained military bases in Belarus, which fully backed Moscow in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Lukashenko is considered quite close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who often conveyed his messages to the West through the president of Belarus.

It is believed that Lukashenko delivered a stern warning on behalf of Putin to the European countries for supplying arms to Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, many western capitals viewed the current visit of Lukashenko to Islamabad with a lot interest.

According to diplomatic circles, the visit at this juncture when the western countries relations are on edge with Russia has great significance.

Lukashenko visited Pakistan in the past but his latest trip came when the Belarusian ties with the western countries have been strained over its close relationship with Russia.

Some believe that Lukashenko's trip suggested Pakistan's ever-growing close ties with Russia and its allies in the region.

Official sources brushed aside any concerns, saying the visit of Belarusian president highlighted Pakistan's robust foreign policy.

Pakistan and Belarus ties have remained on the radar of the West, particularly the United States.

In April this year, the US banned a Minsk-based company from supplying technology that the State Department alleged helped Pakistan's long-range missile program.

Pakistan dismissed the US move but the issue highlighted the close scrutiny Islamabad and Minsk ties are under from the West.

Some diplomatic sources raised eyebrows over the frequency of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Russia this year. They particularly referred to the visits of Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Russian Prime Minister and senior Russian military officials. They view the visit of Lukashenko trip as part of growing exchanges between Pakistan and Russia and its allies.

Sources said Pakistan despite dependent on the West particularly for the IMF bailout is keen to diversify its foreign policy options.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Belarus agreed on a number of initiatives at the conclusion of Lukashenko's visit. The 18-point joint statement covers many areas of cooperation, including agriculture, information technology, maritime and other fields.

The two sides signed fifteen important agreements and MOUs, including the Roadmap for Comprehensive Cooperation for the period 2025-2027. The roadmap focuses on enhancing bilateral economic cooperation between Pakistan and Belarus.