BEIJING (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in Beijing, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations across multiple sectors.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit, highlighted growing cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, agriculture, and regional development.
During the discussions, the prime minister underscored Pakistan’s determination to deepen collaboration with Russia, describing the relationship as one that had grown stronger over time. He emphasised the importance of regional peace and stability as essential elements for prosperity and development. Addressing President Putin directly, he remarked that Russia could play a pivotal role in driving progress within Asia.
براہِ راست: وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی روس کے صدر ولادیمیر پیوتن سے ملاقات اور گفتگو https://t.co/PdV71C0m9o
— PMLN (@pmln_org) September 2, 2025President Putin, in turn, noted that Pakistan had always been a traditional partner of Russia and remained important in the region. He expressed sorrow over the losses caused by recent floods in Pakistan and conveyed Moscow’s solidarity with the people affected. He also reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to work closely with Islamabad on both bilateral and multilateral platforms.
Regional cooperation
The Russian leader underlined the need to expand bilateral trade, observing that while ties between the two countries were strong, there was further potential to be realised. He pointed out that cooperation was continuing at inter-parliamentary levels, as well as through platforms such as the United Nations, where Pakistan currently serves as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
President Putin reminded that their last meeting took place a year ago in Astana, after which both sides witnessed an increase in high-level exchanges. These visits resulted in new protocols of cooperation in agriculture, iron, steel, energy, and transport sectors. He stressed that such engagement needed to continue in order to boost trade volumes and connectivity.
For his part, Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted the growing importance of regional trade corridors linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which, he noted, could transform connectivity and prosperity across the region. He expressed gratitude for Russia’s support, which he termed a “balancing act” within the region, and assured Moscow of Pakistan’s willingness to further intensify collaboration.
SCO summit invitation
President Putin extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Shehbaz to participate in the upcoming SCO leaders’ summit scheduled in Russia in November. The premier welcomed the gesture warmly, expressing eagerness to attend and further explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation.
The prime minister also observed that Pakistan respected Russia’s relations with India but sought to build strong and independent ties of its own with Moscow, stressing that these would be complementary rather than competitive. He praised President Putin’s leadership as “dynamic” and expressed confidence in joint efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
Expanding trade
In recent years, Pakistan-Russia trade has shown signs of growth. Last year, Islamabad imported Russian oil, leading to a noticeable rise in trade volumes between the two sides. Both leaders acknowledged this development, agreeing that there remained considerable scope to expand commerce further.
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PM Shehbaz noted that the momentum generated since their last interaction in Astana had produced tangible results, including ministerial visits and sectoral agreements. He reiterated Pakistan’s keenness to boost ties across multiple areas, particularly in commerce, transport and energy.
Alongside the meeting with President Putin, Prime Minister Shehbaz also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in the day, where both leaders reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China.
The prime minister arrived in Beijing by bullet train from Tianjin, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. He was received at the South Railway Station by Wang Hong, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.