 "'Pakistan perfectly fine with India-Russia ties, but we also want...': Sharif to Putin in China")
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that while it is “perfectly” fine with India’s relations with Russia, Islamabad also seeks a stronger bilateral relationship with Moscow, as he met President Vladimir Putin in China.
The two leaders are in China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and attend a grand parade of the Chinese army in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
“Our relations have only improved over the past many years. Thanks to your commitment and interest in many areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties,” Sharif told Putin.
He added, “I must say that we respect your relations with India. That is perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations (with Russia). And these relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and for the progress and prosperity of the region.”
The prime minister also expressed gratitude to Putin for Russia’s support of Pakistan and called the president a “dynamic leader”. Sharif noted that Pakistan’s ties with Russia “are moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Putin highlighted the upward trajectory of ties between the two countries and stressed the importance of collaboration in organisations such as the SCO, which in turn can serve a major role in regional and global security and stability.
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View AllThe two leaders also discussed the situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Ukraine conflict. They also exchanged views on ongoing cooperation at the multilateral forums, as well as on the long-standing issues and disputes of global interest, such as Palestine and Kashmir, Radio Pakistan reported.
Sharif also accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Russia in November and participate in a SCO event for heads of government. “I would be very happy to visit Russia,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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