5th round of political consultations with Russia today

Pakistan and Russia will hold bilateral political consultations on Tuesday in yet another sign of greater engagement between the two countries which, at one time, were bitter cold war rivals.

A Foreign Office statement said that Pakistan and the Russian Federation will hold the 5th round of bilateral political consultations on June 20 in Islamabad.

The Russian delegation will be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko who will visit Islamabad on 20-21 June 2023. Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan will lead the Pakistan delegation.

The two sides will review the state of bilateral relations, identify areas of mutual interest for further cooperation, and exchange views on important regional and global developments.

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“Pakistan and Russia enjoy friendly relations marked by mutual respect, trust and understanding. The two countries are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year,” the statement added.

Pakistan and Russia, which were in opposite camps during the cold war and particularly during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, have now developed close ties.

Only recently first shipment carrying Russian oil docked at the Karachi Port. The ship carrying 45,000 metric tons of crude oil was part of the deal struck in April between the two countries. Another shipment carrying 50,000 metric tons of oil would reach Pakistan soon.

The first shipment of oil is part of the pilot project to assess if the deal can benefit Pakistan, which otherwise imports oil from the Gulf mainly from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.

Pakistan also imported LPG from Russia recently via Afghanistan. This is part of efforts by Pakistan to diversify its options and reduce dependence on the US dollar given the balance of payment crisis. Pakistan paid Russia in Chinese currency in a move seen as reducing dependence on US currency.

However, seeking close ties with Russia doesn’t mean Pakistan will abandon the US or West. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at a recent keynote address in Islamabad stressed that Pakistan always opposed bloc politics, saying Islamabad sought mutually beneficial relationship with all big powers.

But observers believe that given the current international geopolitics, it may not be easy for Pakistan to maintain that delicate balance.