Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (September 2, 2025) said his country respects Russia’s relations with India while emphasizing Islamabad’s commitment to strengthening ties with Moscow. The remarks came during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
The two leaders are in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and participate in a grand parade of the Chinese army on Wednesday (September 3) commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
“Our relations have improved significantly over the years, thanks to your commitment and interest across multiple areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties,” Mr. Sharif told President 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. These relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and progress of the region.”
Praise for Putin and Future Cooperation
Sharif lauded President Putin as “a very dynamic leader,” noting that Russia and Pakistan “are moving in the right direction,” according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency. He said Pakistan aims to expand cooperation with Russia in areas including trade connectivity, energy, agriculture, investment, defence, artificial intelligence, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
President Putin acknowledged the upward trajectory of bilateral relations and underscored the importance of collaboration through organisations like the SCO, which play a key role in regional and global security and stability.
The leaders also discussed developments in South Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and the Ukraine conflict, exchanging views on ongoing cooperation in multilateral forums and addressing long-standing global issues, including Palestine and Kashmir.
Upcoming Visit to Russia
Sharif accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Russia in November to participate in an SCO heads-of-government event, stating, “I would be very happy to visit Russia.”
Pakistan-Russia relations have evolved significantly from Cold War-era hostility to current cooperation, with both countries seeking to further expand ties in the coming years.
Separately, Sharif met Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon in Beijing, and both leaders expressed satisfaction with ongoing cooperation across areas of mutual interest. (Source: The Hindu)
