Pakistan, Russia vow to strengthen bilateral relations at SCO summit

Beijing: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, where President Putin expressed sorrow over the losses caused by floods in Pakistan.

The meeting took place following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif and Vladimir Putin greeted each other warmly with a handshake. President Putin said that Russia enjoys excellent relations with Pakistan, and acknowledged that Pakistan is currently facing natural disasters.

Putin further expressed his condolences over the flood-related damages in Pakistan, and reiterated Russia’s desire to further strengthen ties with Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remarked that Pakistan-Russia relations are growing stronger over time, and that Pakistan is committed to promoting peace, development, and prosperity in the region. He also expressed Pakistan’s desire to deepen ties with Russia.

During the meeting, the Russian President invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attend the upcoming SCO Summit in Moscow, to which the Prime Minister responded with gratitude.

Earlier, during the SCO summit in Tianjin, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held informal meetings with global leaders.

Shehbaz Sharif had informal interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as meetings with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

During the summit, the Prime Minister also met informally with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the President of Tajikistan, along with key meetings with the presidents of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Maldives.

Additionally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held an informal meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.