Belarus President Mr. Alexander Lukashenko recently visited Pakistan. On 6th of October 2016 both countries Belarus and Pakistan signed fourteen agreements and MoUs in the field of trade, finance, science and technology, vocational training, education and culture worth USD$ 50 million.
Both countries agreed to cooperate in the field of nuclear energy. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Nawaz Sharif at Prime Minister’s house, President of Belarus said that Belarus and Pakistan want to promote cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful means. Moreover Mr. Alexander Lukashenko also supported Pakistan stance for Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).
Belarus and Russia share a close diplomatic and strategic equation. Russia’s state owned organization Atomstroyexport is building two nuclear reactors in Belarus. So the cooperation between Belarus and Pakistan could open the gates for Russia to do business with Pakistan in the field of nuclear energy as Pakistan has set a target to achieve 40’000 MW electricity by 2050.
Pakistan has a small nuclear power program with 725 MW electricity. Currently Pakistan has 3 nuclear reactors in operation Chashma 1 & 2 and Karachi 1, while Chashma 3 & 4 based on CNP 300 technology with a capacity to generate 340 MWe each and Karachi 2 & 3 based on Hualong One technology with a capacity to generate 1161 MWe each are under construction. Only China is cooperating with Pakistan in the field of nuclear energy.
Note: “Belarus is building since 2013 and 2014 two AES 2006 of 1194 MW each under the management of Atomstroyexport (Rosatom). The first unit is schedule for commissioning in 2018 followed by the second unit in 2020. The nuclear power plant will be built at the Astravets (Ostrovets) site in Hrodna Voblast, 45 kilometers from Vilnius, Lithuania. The cost of the project is estimated to be USD $11 billion”.
