Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently held significant meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, underscoring Pakistan’s strategic efforts to deepen its partnerships with these key nations.
Meeting with Vladimir Putin
During his meeting with President Putin, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed gratitude for an invitation to visit Russia, stating his desire to take bilateral relations to “new heights.” He highlighted that trade between the two countries has grown, particularly due to Pakistan’s oil imports from Russia, and stressed the commitment to building a “future-oriented partnership.” Shehbaz also explicitly stated that Pakistan respects Russia’s close ties with India, calling them “perfectly fine,” while also seeking to build strong, “supplementary” relations for Pakistan.
The leaders discussed expanding cooperation in several key sectors, including agriculture, energy, transport, and a proposed trade corridor connecting Belarus, Russia, and Central Asia to Pakistan. On his part, President Putin expressed solidarity with Pakistan over the recent floods and described the bilateral relationship as “excellent.”
Meeting with Xi Jinping
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to their “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.” President Xi emphasized that a stronger China-Pakistan relationship is crucial for safeguarding regional peace and stability.
Key points from their discussion included:
- Upgrading CPEC: President Xi called for accelerating the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (FTA), describing CPEC as a “flagship” of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- New Development Corridors: Prime Minister Shehbaz announced that five new development corridors have been added to the next phase of CPEC, aimed at strengthening connectivity and building a “stronger Pakistan-China community with a shared future.”
- Security Concerns: Xi expressed hope that Pakistan would take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and projects, a concern that Shehbaz addressed by pledging to “spare no effort” in ensuring their security.
