Pakistan-Russia ties are not driven by geopolitics or ties with other countries, PM Sharif tells Putin
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Wednesday, said that ties between the two countries stand on their own merits and are not dictated by “geopolitical contingencies” or Islamabad’s ties with other countries.
Once Cold War rivals, Pakistan and Russia have grown closer in recent years through regular business and trade exchanges. Islamabad has sought to strengthen its role as a transit hub for landlocked Central Asian countries and has expressed interest in connecting with Russia through Central Asia for bilateral trade.
Pakistan began buying Russian crude oil at a discount last year under a deal signed between Islamabad and Moscow, and it has also received its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia, Islamabad’s second major energy purchase from Russia, despite Western moves to impose sanctions in response to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Pakistan is carefully balancing its ties with Washington, a longtime bitter rival of Russia and China, as it moves to boost trade with Moscow.
“Your Excellency, our relationship stands on our own merits,” Sharif told Putin on the sidelines of the summit in Astana also attended by leaders and diplomats from India, China, Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
“Our relationship is not driven by geopolitical contingencies, nor is it influenced by our relationships with other countries.”
The South Asian country notified a barter trade mechanism with Russia, Iran and Afghanistan in February 2023, allowing state-owned and private enterprises to engage in both import and export of goods.
Recalling Pakistan’s barter trade with Russia in the 1950s and 1960s, Sharif said Islamabad imported heavy machinery from Moscow and exported leather and textile products to Russia.
“Now is the time to resume trade and overcome financial and other banking problems by expanding trade through barter. It will be very beneficial for Pakistan and will overcome a lot of problems,” he said.
The Pakistani prime minister congratulated President Putin on his re-election in March and expressed hope for Russia to develop under his administration.
He said the two countries could strengthen bilateral trade, which currently stands at $1 billion.
Last year, Pakistan began buying Russian crude oil at a discount under a deal signed between Islamabad and Moscow. Pakistan also received its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia, Islamabad’s second major energy purchase from Russia.
“We have received oil shipments from your great country and we are very grateful for that,” he said, “but we really need to go further in that direction.”
