Pakistan, Russia take holistic stock of bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD: The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM), Syed Tariq Fatemi, undertook a visit to the Russian Federation from June 02-04, 2025.
After meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, the SAPM called on Sergey Tsivilev, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation and Co-Chair of the Pakistan-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC).
Both sides took a holistic stock of bilateral relations, identifying key areas of trade, energy, connectivity, new Steel Mills, cybersecurity, etc for future cooperation.
The SAPM emphasised on the prospects of further development of energy cooperation between Pakistan and Russia. In addition, he briefed Tsivilev on the recent developments in South Asia, while lauding Russia's role in de-escalating tensions.
Tsivilev expressed satisfaction on the outcomes of the ninth Pakistan-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) held in Moscow in 2024 and hoped for productive next IGC in Pakistan this year, adding that Pakistan has the potential to become a 'transit hub'.
Later, the SAPM called on Yury Ushakov, Senior Aide to the President on Foreign Policy Issues.
During the meeting, the SAPM briefed him on the recent escalation in the South Asia and outlined Pakistan's position vis-à-vis India's aggressive actions, especially unilaterally holding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance.
Besides these meetings, the SAPM gave two interviews to the leading Russian TV networks, expressing his candid views on the increasingly positive trends in Pakistan-Russia relations and recent escalation between Pakistan and India.
He also had an extensive exchange of views with a group of academics and journalists from prominent print and electronic media.
Furthermore, the SAPM was hosted by Valdai Discussion Club, a prestigious think-tank in Moscow, for a talk on 4th June, on the recent developments in South Asia and Pakistan-Russia relations.
Overall, the visit of the SAPM was highly successful, with several important official engagements and candid exchanges with parliamentarians, a think tank, several academics and journalists. It paved the way to explicitly share Pakistan's perspective on the recent situation and other important issues, such as IWT to the Russian side.
There was widespread appreciation for the manner in which Pakistan was enhancing its relations with Russia, in important areas of trade, investment, energy and connectivity routes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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