Prime Minister Imran Khan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister Imran Khan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan and
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a bilateral meeting

P(caps)rime Minister Imran Khan and
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting to discuss bilateral
issues including energy and regional development agenda.

A joint statement issued during a
meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin
at the Prime Minister’s Office said that the two leaders discussed regional and
international issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations.

Reiterating the telephone
conversation between the two leaders in recent months, the Prime Minister
expressed confidence that the positive trend in bilateral relations would
continue in the future as well.

Before to the meeting, Federal
Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry had said on social networking site
Twitter that Prime Minister Imran Khan had left the hotel to meet Russian
President Putin.

وزیر اعظم عمران خان روسی صدر پوٹن سے ملاقات کیلئے ہوٹل سے روانہ ہو گئے ہیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 24, 2022

A statement from the Prime
Minister’s Office said, “The Prime Minister also highlighted Pakistan’s
commitment to a long-term and multi-faceted relationship with Russia.”

During the meeting, the Prime
Minister also stressed the need to end the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
and avoid economic turmoil in the war-torn country.

The statement said “The
Prime Minister reiterated that Pakistan will continue to work with the
international community for a stable, peaceful and connected Afghanistan”.

Referring to South Asia, Prime
Minister Imran Khan also highlighted the human rights violations committed by
India in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the need for a peaceful solution to the
problem.

The Prime Minister expressed
concern over the growing extremism and Islamophobia in the country and stressed
the need for interfaith harmony and co-operation.

After meeting with Putin, Prime
Minister Imran Khan was met by a delegation led by Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Alexander Novak and Energy Minister Nikolai Shelginov.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Valentinovich Novak and Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Mr. Nikolay Shulginov calls on Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI along with delegation#PMIKInRussia pic.twitter.com/aosvW2zrTV

— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) February 24, 2022

After meeting with Putin, Prime
Minister Imran Khan was met by a delegation led by Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Alexander Novak and Energy Minister Nikolai Shelginov.

Accompanying the Prime Minister
in the delegation are Federal Ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry,
Asad Umar, Hamad Azhar, Trade Adviser Abdul Razzaq Dawood, National Security
Adviser Moeed Yousuf and Member National Assembly Amir Mahmood Kayani.

This is the first bilateral visit
of any Pakistani Prime Minister to Russia after a gap of 23 years and is being
hailed as a historic step in renewing relations between the two countries.

It may be recalled that the last
Pakistani Prime Minister to visit Russia was Nawaz Sharif who visited Russia in
1999 while former President Asif Ali Zardari also visited Moscow in 2011.