Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pakistan-Russia relations, pledging to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, and regional connectivity.
The meeting, held in Beijing ahead of the SCO summit and broadcast on national television, underscored both leaders’ resolve to build a future-oriented partnership. Prime Minister Shehbaz praised President Putin’s personal commitment to fostering bilateral ties, noting that relations between the two countries had steadily improved in recent years.
He highlighted the surge in bilateral trade following Pakistan’s oil imports from Russia last year and pointed to new protocols signed in agriculture, steel, energy, and transport after their earlier meeting in Astana. Shehbaz also stressed the importance of a trade corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to boost regional connectivity and prosperity.
Expressing gratitude for Moscow’s support, the Prime Minister said Pakistan respected Russia’s relations with India but sought a complementary and strong partnership with Moscow for regional peace and progress. He accepted Putin’s invitation to attend the SCO Heads of Government Summit in Russia in November.
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President Putin described Pakistan as a “traditional partner” in Asia and stressed the need to further expand bilateral trade. He offered condolences for the losses Pakistan has endured from recent natural disasters and expressed optimism that under Shehbaz’s leadership, Pakistan would overcome its challenges.
Delegations from both countries attended the meeting, which marks another step toward enhancing Pakistan-Russia cooperation across multiple sectors.
