ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia this month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi said on Monday.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has visited Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, FM Qureshi said, calling it “evidence” that positive changes are taking place in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Russia.
The Foreign Minister announced the visit to Russia and introduced the Prime Minister’s recently concluded visit to China and its outcomes.
Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Beijing on Friday accompanied by a high-level delegation before attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
“The joint statement is a visual manifestation of the success of the China tour,” FM Qureshi said while referring to the statement mutually issued by Pakistan and China over the visit.
Pakistan and China are determined for the quick completion of the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC), he added.
FM Qureshi further stated that the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan will meet in Beijing towards the end of March, wherein a future strategy will be worked out. He said that the interim Afghan foreign minister will also be invited to the session.
The minister urged the international community once again to take notice of India’s “evil” intentions, for the sake of regional peace and stability.
PM Imran Khan will become the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif, who travelled to Moscow after the end of the Cold War. Apart from him, former presidents Parvez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari also got to visit the north Asian country.
According to sources, Pakistan and Russia are expected to reach a major deal during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit.
Negotiations for a $2 billion natural gas pipeline project could make significant progress, they said.
In addition, during the prime minister’s visit, the two countries will discuss Pakistan’s geo-economic vision, land linkages, and the issue of peace and stability in Afghanistan and its humanitarian crisis, the sources said.
A high-level delegation will accompany Prime Minister Imran Khan to Russia, and the itinerary is being finalized.
