Ten MoUs signed between India and Belarus

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.

New Delhi, Sep 12: India and Belarus on Friday inked 10 pacts to expand cooperation in a range of areas. The MoUs were signed in areas like oil and gas sector, vocational education, sports affairs, cooperation in agriculture, scientific and technical cooperation.

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.

India and Belarus also released a postage stamp to mark 25 years of diplomatic ties between the two sides.

The Belarus President earlier in the day held meetings with Prime Minister Modi, Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. He was given a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

PTI