Embrace delayed

Pakistan should ensure that the postponement of Putin’s visit is not converted into a cancellation.

While Pakistan has slowly been moving towards improving ties with Russia, beginning with President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Moscow in May this year, a reciprocal action from Russia has been delayed, with President Vladimir Putin, set to become the first head of state from that country to ever visit Pakistan, deferring his trip. The quadrilateral summit in Islamabad, featuring Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Russia and, of course, hosts Pakistan, scheduled for October 2 and 3, has also been postponed. No definite reason has been given, though there has been some mention of a security threat, while other engagements on the same days have also been cited.

Islamabad has been making fairly overt attempts to move closer to Russia, possibly to balance out a strained relationship with the US. In this context, the postponement of the visit comes as a setback. Russia, under Putin, is eager to reassert itself as an influential global power. It, therefore, is keen to gain a foothold in Afghanistan once more, through working with Pakistan, which has similar aspirations, notably after the planned US pull-out from the country by 2014. The quadrilateral summit was obviously intended to move towards this goal — a potentially crucial regional development. Pakistan is also looking for new arms providers, in case further cracks damage ties with the US, while Russia — made somewhat anxious by warmed up ties between traditional ally New Delhi and Washington, is seeking new buyers. Russia holds 24 per cent of the world’s arms market compared with 30 per cent by the US.

There are also other areas where closer ties could be beneficial. Russia and the Central Asian Republics could help meet Pakistan’s energy requirements. Reports have also stated that Moscow was willing to help resurrect and expand the Pakistan Steel Mills it had established in Karachi in the 1970s. As Pakistan searches for friends in a time when it is at risk of experiencing growing isolation, it is clear that it could gain a great deal by building a closer relationship with Russia. It will, therefore, be eager to ensure that the postponement of Putin’s visit is not converted into a cancellation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2012.