MOSCOW (Sputnik), Valentina Shvartsman – Trade between Russia and Pakistan has likely taken a dive due to the coronavirus outbreak, but Islamabad remains determined to boost it after the crisis is over, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan said in an interview.
“Of course, the COVID is going to impact the global trade and the bilateral trade [between Pakistan and Russia] also, but so far, we are in the process of assessing the situation”, Khan said.
The diplomat, however, refrained from giving exact figures.
According to the ambassador, the Pakistani and Russian governments can facilitate trade through addressing legal issues, simplifying procedures and encouraging businesses in both countries.
He said that the embassy also stood ready to assist in boosting business ties through organising visits, seminars, and exhibitions once the COVID-19 crisis settles.
The Pakistani diplomat noted that the two countries had “all-encompassing dialogue” at various levels.
The Pakistani diplomat asserted that Russia remained “a pillar of global stability” amid a quickly changing global situation.
The ambassador also expressed determination to continue work on improving people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and Russia, including through parliamentary exchanges and student programs.
Khan was appointed ambassador to Russia in March 2020. Prior to that, he headed Pakistan’s diplomatic mission to Poland.
Moscow Notified Islamabad of SCO Summit’s Delay Until Fall
Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan further elaborated that Moscow has notified Islamabad that the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), initially scheduled for late July, has been postponed until autumn, but once the summit takes place there certainly will be a bilateral meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Whenever the summit takes place, of course, there will be a meeting [between the two leaders]”, the ambassador added.
Even though there are currently no plans for a phone call between the leaders, it would not be problematic to arrange one on a short notice thanks to good relations between the two nations, the Pakistani diplomat noted. He also expressed the hope for the SCO summit’s success.
While the bringing together nations accounting nearly for one-fourth of the global population, the SCO also covers vast territories in Eurasia contributing to regional cooperation not only in economy, but also peace, security and response to common threats, the Pakistani diplomat underlined. He added that response to the COVID-19 pandemic could be one more area for cooperation between the SCO member states.
The SCO summit was initially planned to be held on 22-23 July 2020 in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin announced that the event was postponed, and new dates will be determined taking into consideration the epidemiological situation development.
The SCO is an international association founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. At the SCO summit in Astana on 9 June 2017, the leaders of the SCO member states signed a decision on admission of India and Pakistan to the organisation.
Pakistan Expects CPEC to Facilitate Eurasian Connectivity, Trade
According to the diplomat, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a “flagship bilateral cooperation project” between Islamabad and Beijing.
The Pakistani ambassador noted that the project offered great opportunities for the development of economic and trade relations between the regional countries.
The CPEC is a $46 billion-worth infrastructure project funded by China that aims to increase the region’s integrity by connecting the Pakistani port city of Gwadar and China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region via transportation routes.
Pakistan Did Not Ask Russia for Aid But Technical Talks on Ventilators Ongoing
Islamabad has not officially requested Russia’s assistance in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic but some Pakistani companies are engaged in technical talks with Russian firms regarding the possible supply of ventilators, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan said in an interview.
Meanwhile, the diplomat noted that some Pakistani and Russian companies were in technical discussion regarding the possible procurement of ventilators for COVID-19 patients.
The ambassador expressed confidence that Russia would provide any COVID-related assistance if Islamabad requested such, praising the friendly relations between the countries.
Khan also noted that Pakistan was still thankful for Russia’s previous assistance to the South Asian nation during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods.
To date, Pakistan has reported more than 76,000 cases of COVID-19 and 1,621 deaths.
Pakistan Eagerly Awaits Intra-Afghan Dialogue, Thankful for Russia’s Role
Shafqat Ali Khan continued by saying that Pakistan is looking forward to the intra-Afghan dialogue following recent positive developments.
Russia has hosted a series of talks between Taliban and Afghan diplomatic representatives in Moscow over recent years.
According to the diplomat, both Pakistan and Russia share an interest in an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process and wanted to see peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s northern neighbour Afghanistan has seen decades of turmoil at the hands of the Taliban* insurgency against the US-backed Kabul government and the US-led foreign forces in the country. Pakistan is, on par with Iran, the main host for Afghan refugees and its border regions have suffered from spillovers of violence.
On 29 February, the United States and the Taliban signed a peace agreement following months of talks. Its main premises are the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the launch of intra-Afghan peace talks, subject to a mutual exchange of prisoners. In mid-May, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his longtime rival, Abdullah Abdullah, inked a power-sharing deal.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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