PM Imran’s upcoming visit to Russia will give impetus to bilateral ties: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Russia will give impetus to bilateral ties in diverse sectors.

In a statement, the Foreign Minister said that during the Premier visit, he will meet with Russian leaders to discuss bilateral cooperation, including the North-South Gas Pipeline project, Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.

Speaking of the upcoming meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, he stated that foreign delegates will visit Pakistan on the 22nd of next month to attend the meeting and will also witness the National Day parade on the 23rd of next month.

Regarding Afghanistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that the entire world recognises Pakistan’s assistance in evacuating more than 90,000 people from the war-torn country.

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Earlier on February 7, FM Qureshi confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake a two-day official visit to Moscow by the end of February 2022 after his “historic visit to China”.

Qureshi said in a statement that at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin Prime Minister, Imran Khan will visit Russia later this month.

The diplomatic sources privy to the development told Bol News that the premier accompanied by a high-level delegation will travel to Moscow on February 23-24. However, a final schedule for the visit is being prepared, the sources added.

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During his visit to Russia, the PM will discuss various important issues including bilateral relations, the North-South gas pipeline, diplomatic sources said.

The last time a Pakistani prime minister paid a bilateral visit to Moscow was in 1999. In April 1999, then-premier Nawaz Sharif visited Kremlin. Meanwhile, in 2011, former president Asif Ali Zardari paid his last bilateral visit to Russia as president.