Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba will undertake an official visit to Pakistan on July 20-21, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
During his visit, FM Kuleba will call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and also hold talks with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Pakistan and Ukraine enjoy close and cordial relations, particularly in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture and higher education.
Kuleba’s visit is the first-ever ministerial visit from Ukraine since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Ukraine in 1993. The visit is expected to contribute to further strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries.
Though Pakistan and Ukraine have bilateral relations including defence ties, the war in Ukraine will top the agenda during the visit of Kuleba.
Read more: Pakistan denies arming Ukrainian forces
A senior official, while speaking on condition of anonymity, said the upcoming visit of the Ukrainian foreign minister highlighted Pakistan’s balanced approach towards the conflict.
Pakistan has resisted pressure from the West to take sides since Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Islamabad has refused to condemn Moscow's action but at the same time dispatched humanitarian aid to Ukraine and called for a political solution to the conflict. Pakistan has thrice abstained from voting on a resolution at the UN General Assembly denouncing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
There were reports that Pakistan was providing weapons to Ukraine, something that has strongly been rebutted by Islamabad.
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