Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has stated that Pakistan and Russia are "natural allies" and that President Putin considers Pakistan as an important partner in the growth and development of economy and energy in the region.
Overchuk expressed these views on Thursday in a meeting with a high-powered Pakistani delegation led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi in Moscow.
SAPM on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khanwho is also the focal person for the Pakistan Steel Mills projectwas also part of the delegation.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations in all areas of mutual interest, including political, trade and economic cooperation, as well as energy, connectivity, industrial and agricultural cooperation.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan and Russia agreed to continue mutual cooperation in different fields including political, trade and economic as well as energy sector.
SAPM Fatemi underlined that Pakistan attached high importance to its relations with the Russian Federation, adding that strengthening relations with the latter was one of Pakistan's foreign policy priorities. He affirmed that Pakistan viewed Russia as a stabilizing factor in the international arena.
"President Putin was greatly looking forward to his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the forthcoming SCO-Council of Heads of State in Tianjin, China, in late August this year," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said during the meeting.
SAPM Akhtar stated that Pakistan attached high importance to ongoing discussions on the new steel mills in Karachi, as the project carries an important legacy of Pakistan's relations with Russia, that could serve as a "leap forward" symbol of future cooperation and partnership.
In 1956, Soviet premier Nikolai Bulganin offered technical and scientific assistance to Pakistan then prime minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and expressed interest in establishing the country's first steel mills.
The SAPM gave an overview of the investment-friendly industrial policy of Pakistan, that had ensured macro-economic stability, achieved under the present Government.
During the meeting, DPM Overchuk who was assisted by key ministers, recalled his visit to Pakistan in September 2024 and his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the sidelines of the SCO-Heads of Government in Islamabad in October 2024.
He also highlighted the significance of important connectivity projects between two countries, such as the railway connectivity between Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia, and the launching of pilot cargo train between Pakistan and Russia in August 2025.
The two sides also touched upon regional and international issues, such as the situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, as well as the bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Russia at all multilateral forums.
The visit of the two SAPMs was deeply appreciated by Overchuk, who emphasized that President Putin was strongly in favor of further deepening of cooperation with Pakistan in all important sectors. APP (WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)
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