Putin greets Shehbaz Sharif, expresses hope for closer ties

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 04 Jan 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has felicitated Shehbaz Sharif on assuming the office of Pakistan’s prime minister and expressed hope that his government will contribute to the improvement of bilateral relations, the Russian embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday.

The embassy released a statement on its website, saying President Putin had congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

“In his congratulatory message the Russian leader has expressed hope that H.E. Shehbaz Sharif’s activities as Head of Government will contribute to further development of multifaceted Russian-Pakistani cooperation as well as partner interaction on the Afghan settlement and countering international terrorism,” the statement said.

Pakistan and Russia have worked closely since the Afghan peace process entered a critical stage two years ago and have been trying to help stabilize the country after the US withdrawal.

They have also pledged cooperation on encountering international terrorism.

Putin is the third major world leader to greet Shehbaz Sharif on becoming prime minister. On Monday, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and India’s Narendra Modi congratulated him.

The United State Monday said that it valued lasting cooperation with Pakistan that “remains unchanged regardless of who the leader is.” However, a White House spokesperson refused to predict if President Biden would call the new prime minister of Pakistan.

Biden never made a phone call to Imran Khan, who was voted out by the National Assembly on Saturday and claimed that the vote was orchestrated by the United States to punish him for his Russia visit and pursuit of an independent foreign policy.

Russian foreign ministry, last week, criticized the United States for its “shameless” meddling in Pakistan and attempt to “punish the disobedient” Imran Khan for his Moscow visit.

However, the foreign ministry spokesperson based her allegations against Washington on Pakistani media reports and the statements of Khan.