Islamabad, 22 December 2022 (TDI): Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), received a three-member delegation from the Republic of Belarus.
Major General Bolotov Igor, the Deputy Minister for Emergency Situations, led the delegation from Belarus. Colonel Fesenka Siarhei and Lieutenant Colonel Haishun Kanstantin from the internal services accompanied him.
Moreover, Andrei Metelitsa, the Belarusian Ambassador to Pakistan was also present during the meeting. The head of the NDMA thanked the Belarusian delegation and its government for providing humanitarian aid to Pakistani flood victims.
The need for cooperation between the two nations in the field of disaster management, specifically the exchange of experts for the purpose of learning from one another’s experiences, was discussed during the meeting.
Chairman NDMA also emphasized the necessity of creating an institutionalized mechanism at the regional level to address the problems brought on by climate change.
Along these lines, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik also suggested creating an organizational standard body of regional stakeholders established on three fundamental elements.
These elements are the formation of academic groups including think tanks and researchers, training of disaster managers using the most up-to-date technology-driven modules, and cooperation with international partners to raise money for the first two elements.
He also shared that Pakistan is working to change its disaster management strategy so that it is proactive rather than reactive.
While on his part, Major General Bolotov Igor, the Belarusian delegation’s leader expressed solidarity and condolences for the loss of precious lives caused by the devastating floods on behalf of the President of Belarus.
Likewise, the contingent provided assurances that the Belarusian government would provide full support in the areas of disaster management training and the exchange of experts, officials, and students.
Both parties concurred to work on key areas of engagement and cooperation for disaster mitigation and emergency response. At the conclusion, the officials signed the paperwork transferring the Belarusian government’s humanitarian aid.
