PM to visit Russia amid regional crisis

Countries seek fresh momentum in relations

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to undertake an official visit to Russia in the coming weeks for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as Islamabad and Moscow seek to inject fresh momentum into their relationship despite differences over Afghanistan and other regional issues.

Although the government has yet to formally announce the schedule, diplomatic sources indicated that preparations were under way for the prime minister's visit to Moscow.

The planned trip would effectively revive Shehbaz's visit to Russia that was postponed earlier this year because of an extraordinary deterioration in the regional security situation.

Shehbaz had been due to travel to Moscow in early March, with the Kremlin at the time confirming that preparations for his visit were under way. However, Islamabad postponed the trip on March 1, citing the prevailing "regional and internal situation", and said fresh dates would be worked out through mutual consultations.

The decision came as Pakistan was grappling with simultaneous crises on two fronts. Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan had sharply escalated, while the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran had triggered a wider regional crisis, forcing Islamabad to focus on the security implications as well as the evacuation of Pakistani nationals from Iran.

The prime minister subsequently chaired a high-level meeting to review the regional and internal security situation, including developments in Afghanistan, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and Iran.

The revival of the visit is therefore significant. It suggests that both Islamabad and Moscow are keen to resume a high-level engagement that was interrupted by regional events rather than by any bilateral disagreement.

The trip is expected to focus on bilateral economic cooperation, particularly trade, investment and energy, while regional security and Afghanistan are also likely to figure prominently in talks between Shehbaz and Putin.

The proposed visit comes at a time when Pakistan and Russia have stepped up high-level contacts, reflecting a mutual desire to broaden a relationship that for decades remained constrained by Cold War alignments and competing regional priorities.

The latest push was evident earlier this month when Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev travelled to Islamabad and held meetings with Pakistan's civilian and military leadership.

During his meeting with Kolokoltsev, Shehbaz expressed satisfaction over the "positive momentum" in bilateral relations and called for greater cooperation in trade and investment, energy and economic development.

The two countries have in recent years explored cooperation in energy, connectivity, agriculture and trade. However, officials acknowledge that considerable potential remains untapped, with banking and payment mechanisms as well as connectivity among the practical challenges to expanding commercial ties.