Pak's Shehbaz Sharif Mentions India In Meeting With Putin. What He Said

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Beijing:

During talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged Russia's relationship with India while advocating for enhanced ties between Islamabad and Moscow.

Both leaders are currently in China attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and will participate in a major military parade in Beijing on Wednesday commemorating the 80th anniversary of China's resistance against Japanese aggression.

"Over recent years, our bilateral relations have seen consistent improvement, thanks to your dedication and interest across multiple domains. My intention is to substantially strengthen these ties," Sharif stated during his meeting with Putin.

The Pakistani Prime Minister expressed appreciation for Russia's support, which Pakistan considers "a balancing act in the region."

"We fully respect your relations with India, which is entirely appropriate. However, we also aim to develop robust relations with Russia. These relationships will be supplementary and complementary, contributing to regional progress and prosperity," Sharif remarked.

He described Putin as "a very dynamic leader" and noted that Pakistan and Russia "are now moving in the right direction," according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.

Sharif expressed Pakistan's eagerness to expand cooperation with Russia across multiple sectors including "trade connectivity, energy, agriculture, investment, defense, artificial intelligence, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges," as reported by Radio Pakistan.

President Putin acknowledged the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and emphasized the importance of collaboration within frameworks like the SCO, which can play a significant role in regional and global security and stability.

The leaders also discussed South Asian affairs, Afghanistan, Middle East developments, and the Ukraine conflict. They exchanged perspectives on ongoing multilateral cooperation and longstanding global issues including Palestine and Kashmir, according to Radio Pakistan.

Sharif accepted Putin's invitation to visit Russia in November for an SCO governmental heads meeting, stating, "I would be very happy to visit Russia."

The relationship between Pakistan and Russia has evolved considerably from Cold War-era hostility to the current level of cooperation, with prospects for further expansion in coming years.

In recent times, both nations have actively worked toward strengthening their bilateral relationship.

In a separate engagement, Sharif met with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon in Beijing, where both leaders expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between their countries across areas of mutual interest.