BEIJING (Realist English). Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of an international event in Beijing, the Kremlin press service reported.
Putin reaffirmed that Pakistan remains a “traditional partner” for Moscow in Asia and recalled their last meeting a year ago at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. While acknowledging a slight decline in bilateral trade, he noted “positive progress” in relations and formally invited Sharif to Moscow in November for the SCO Council of Heads of Government.
The Russian president also extended condolences to the people of Pakistan over the recent devastating floods and stressed that Russia intends to continue cooperation with Islamabad both bilaterally and at multilateral forums, including the United Nations Security Council.
Sharif thanked Putin for the meeting and underlined that bilateral trade had grown significantly last year, boosted by imports of Russian oil. He highlighted the recent visits of Russian delegations to Islamabad and agreements signed on cooperation in agriculture, metallurgy and transport — including a planned trade corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Central Asia and Afghanistan to Pakistan. These steps, Sharif said, reflected the “determined commitment of both sides to advance relations.”
The Pakistani leader also praised Putin as a “decisive leader” and said he intended to work closely with Moscow. He added that cooperation with Russia could complement Pakistan’s ties with India and contribute to regional stability.
The Beijing meeting underscores Russia’s drive to strengthen its outreach to Pakistan at a time of global shifts in trade and transport routes. For Islamabad, deeper engagement with Moscow offers an opportunity to diversify external economic relations — though balancing ties between Russia and India remains a central challenge for Pakistani diplomacy.
