President Putin, in meeting with PM Shehbaz, extends condolences over lives lost in recent floods in Pakistan
\n ISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an important meeting on Tuesday in Beijing ahead of upcoming events in China. The two leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral relations across trade, energy and regional connectivity.
\nShehbaz praised Putin\u2019s role in fostering closer relations, saying, \u201cRelations between the two countries have improved during the past years on the basis of mutual interests.\u201d
\nThe prime minister specifically mentioned that following their previous meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, both sides agreed to enhance delegations\u2019 visits. The two countries also signed new protocols in key sectors including agriculture, iron, steel, energy and transport.\u201d
\nShehbaz highlighted the significance of a proposed trade corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying it would boost regional prosperity. He added, \u201cPakistan respects Russian Federation\u2019s ties with India but we also want to build very strong relations.\u201d
\nIt may be mentioned that Pakistan imported Russian oil last year that remarkably boosted the bilateral trade volumes. Shehbaz voiced confidence that commercial links would continue to expand.
\n\u201cTogether, both countries would make further efforts to promote the bilateral ties and cooperation particularly in commerce and trade,\u201d he said.
\nPutin said Moscow valued its longstanding partnership with Islamabad. \u201cPakistan has always been our traditional partner in Asia and we cherish these ties,\u201d he said.
\nThe Russian president also extended condolences over lives lost in recent natural disasters in Pakistan, expressing optimism that the country would overcome challenges.
\nThe leaders discussed cooperation at inter-parliamentary level and within the United Nations, where Pakistan is a non-permanent Security Council member.
\nPutin invited Shehbaz to attend the SCO heads summit in Russia this November, to which the prime minister responded saying, \u201cHe is looking forward to the visit.\u201d
\nEarlier, during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and agreed to advance its next phase through five new corridors aimed at expanding cooperation in key economic sectors.
\nThe two leaders emphasized that the Pakistan-China partnership was unique and unparalleled and agreed that this bond should be reflected through enhanced cooperation across multiple fields.
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed the desire to continue working closely with China for the successful implementation of the next phase of upgraded CPEC, terming the project a flagship of President Xi\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
\nShehbaz appreciated China\u2019s unflinching support to Pakistan\u2019s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and socio-economic development and said CPEC would help both nations build an even stronger Pakistan-China community with a shared future.
\nPresident Xi assured the prime minister that China would continue to assist Pakistan in all fields of economic growth and development, particularly as the second phase of CPEC gets underway.
\nPM Shehbaz reached Tianjin on Saturday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) summit, which held from August 31 to September 1.
\nA day earlier, Shehbaz Sharif underscored the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) issue at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation\u2019s (SCO) summit in China and called for \u201cdialogue, diplomacy and consultation\u201d instead of confrontation on all outstanding disputes.
\nApart from Pakistan, the SCO comprises of China, India, Russia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Another 16 countries are affiliated with the organisation as observers or \u201cdialogue partners\u201d.
\n\u201cWe respect all international and bilateral treaties and expect similar principles to be followed by all SCO members,\u201d said Shehbaz as the summit concluded, referring to India\u2019s unilateral move to the hold the IWT in abeyance in April.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Putin, in meeting with PM Shehbaz, extends condolences over lives lost in recent floods in Pakistan ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an important meeting on Tuesday in Beijing ahead of upcoming events in China. The two leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral relations across trade, energy and regional connectivity. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500633,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-500611","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n