ISLAMABAD: Officials acquainted with the matter told the local news media that Islamabad and Moscow are in negotiations to finalise plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s historic visit to Pakistan later this year.
The two sides had been discussing a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the past two years, but it never happened due to a variety of factors, including the Covid-19 outbreak.
Moscow also demands that there be “large ticket projects” or other initiatives announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he travels to Pakistan.
President Putin has already received an official invitation from Prime Minister Imran Khan. During a recent telephonic call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he renewed the invitation.
The two presidents are also slated to meet in Beijing next month during the Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony.
According to sources, the premier will personally issue the invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to diplomatic sources, Putin wanted to visit when he had “something significant to sell.”
Putin’s chances of visiting Pakistan have improved dramatically with the signing of the Pakistan Steam Gas Pipeline agreement.
Pakistan wants President Putin to lay the foundation stone for the multibillion-dollar gas pipeline project, which might begin later this year.
Pakistan is looking for Russian businesses to build a pipeline connecting Karachi and Kasur.
The North South Gas Pipeline, currently known as the Pakistan Steam Gas Pipeline, has been a major project for the two countries since they decided to put their Cold War rivalry behind them and embrace a new era of bilateral relations.
The agreement was inked in 2015, but work on the 1,122-kilometer pipeline could not begin due to possible US penalties against Russian enterprises and other obstacles.
However, the two parties eventually overcame their differences and negotiated a modified agreement that gives Pakistan a 74 percent ownership in the pipeline.
Previously, Russia was to develop the pipeline entirely under the built, operate, and transfer paradigm.
The project is estimated to cost $2.25 billion. Once completed, the pipeline will aid in alleviating Punjab’s gas deficit. This proposed pipeline will re-gasify the LNG that Pakistan now imports.
Officials familiar with the situation said the project was important not only economically, but also strategically for Pakistan.
As part of its efforts to diversify its foreign policy options, they said Pakistan sought to strengthen ties with Russia.
After a nearly nine-year absence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a visit to Islamabad in April of last year.
On behalf of President Putin, he communicated to Pakistani officials a message that Moscow was eager to assist Islamabad in any way necessary.
President Putin’s visit is expected to be the culmination of years of effort on both sides to begin a new chapter in bilateral ties, which have been tarnished by the Cold War rivalry.
Not only are the two nations discussing ways to strengthen commercial ties, but Russia is also interested in selling arms to Pakistan, which it has avoided in the past due to India’s opposition.
Since 2016, the two nations have held regular cooperative military drills, signalling the strengthening of ties between Moscow and Islamabad.
Furthermore, the two countries have similar viewpoints on critical regional and international concerns, such as Afghanistan.
