Pakistan and Russia explore new paths for partnership

Pakistan and Russia reaffirmed their commitment on Wednesday to strengthen their bilateral relationship through increased commerce, energy cooperation, regional connectivity, and defense ties.

After delegation-level discussions at the Foreign Office, visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar jointly held a news conference to reaffirm this commitment.

Both parties examined the whole range of bilateral cooperation and looked into ways to strengthen it by building on the momentum that their partnership has gained over the last 20 years.

Dar said that commerce between the two nations had reached $1 billion in the most recent fiscal year, marking an important milestone in bilateral trade.

“Relations between Pakistan and Russia have advanced significantly, and we are dedicated to fostering a mutually respectful and trustworthy partnership,” Dar stated.

Speaking about the need of energy cooperation for prosperity, Dar said that Pakistan has started discussions with Russia as early as 2022 about buying energy, namely LNG and oil. The possibility for more energy cooperation was emphasized by both presidents.

With intentions to build rail and road networks to enhance trade routes between Pakistan and Russia, connectivity arose as a crucial subject in the discussions.

While the Russian deputy PM spoke about efforts to promote the Russian language in Pakistan and strengthen educational connections, Mr Dar emphasized enhanced collaboration between universities in Pakistan and Russia.

Pakistan is expected to host the Russian prime minister for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting next month.

Apart from deliberating on bilateral collaboration and the dynamics of regional security, the ISPR declared that “both sides reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen security and defense cooperation in multiple domains.”