India, Belarus sign 10 pacts to expand cooperation

PM Narendra Modi and Belarus President A G Lukashenko, during their extensive talks, also agreed to focus on ramping up economic engagement between the two countries, holding that there was a huge scope for boosting trade and investment.

New Delhi | Published:September 12, 2017 5:06 pm
India, Belarus, India-belarus cooperation, PM Narendra Modi, Belarus President, A G Lukashenko Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko before their meeting at Hyderabad House,in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Source: PTI)

India and Belarus today inked 10 pacts to expand cooperation in a range of areas and decided to explore joint development and manufacture of military platforms, giving a fresh momentum in bilateral ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Belarus President A G Lukashenko, during their extensive talks, also agreed to focus on ramping up economic engagement between the two countries, holding that there was a huge scope for boosting trade and investment.

“We will encourage joint development and manufacturing in defence sector under the ‘Make in India’ programme,” Modi said in a media statement.

The prime minister said he and Lukashenko reviewed the “architecture” of India-Belarus partnership and exchanged ideas to expand it. The pacts inked provided for enhancing bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas, including oil and gas, education and sports.