Pakistan Wants to Be Friends With Russia, Shed 'Cold War' Mentality: Expert
In 2024, Pakistan and Russia will celebrate 76 years of diplomatic relations. Despite facing numerous challenges since 1948, the evolving geopolitical landscape has ushered in a new chapter in Islamabad and Moscow's bilateral ties in the 21st century.
SputnikSpeaking to Sputnik India, Brigadier Dr. Tughral Yamin (R), a foreign affairs analyst, professor, former dean of the school of politics, policy expert, and researcher, said, “Pakistan is seeking to improve its relations with the Russian Federation and move away from the Cold War-era bloc politics mentality.”
In October, Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Caretaker Prime Minister
Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar met to discuss their countries' diplomatic ties and areas of agreement. President Putin emphasised the long-standing friendly partnership between Russia and Pakistan, highlighting the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the shared focus on regional security and stability.
In this context, the leaders of both nations have recognised and emphasised the necessity of peace, stability, and
connectivity in the
South Asia region. They also discussed the prospect of strengthening future ties between the two states.
Strengthening of Diplomatic Relations Over the Last Two Decades
Ex-Pakistan FM
Bhutto Zardari's trip to Russia, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart
Sergey Lavrov, along with various interactions and meetings during multilateral forums and regular exchanges, has injected new momentum into bilateral relations.
Over the last two decades, Pakistan and Russia have strengthened their diplomatic relations, establishing regular high-level contacts. Notable milestones include Ex-President Asif Ali Zardari's 2011 visit to Russia and Moscow's support for Islamabad's application to join
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
In 2014, the initiation of Joint Defense Cooperation encompassed military intelligence exchange, joint exercises, and the sale of military equipment. Pakistan has procured military helicopters and expressed interest in advanced systems like the Su-35 fighter jet. Joint military exercises, named "Druzhba" (friendship), have focused on counter-terrorism operations since 2017.
In this regard, Brigadier Dr. Tughral Yamin (R), a foreign affairs analyst and political expert, told Sputnik, “The primary objective of Pakistan’s foreign policy is to make good ties with Russia, and in this regard, a head of state that is favourably inclined towards Pakistan would definitely help. President Putin and his likely successors will be seen through this prism."
President Putin's Global Leadership and the Relationship between Pakistan and Russia
President Putin's influential global leadership has played a vital role in shaping the evolving dynamics of Pakistan-Russia relations. Both countries mark 75 years of diplomatic ties, with Pakistan and Russia coming together for new alignment as regional and global partners. Thus, President Putin's emphasis on the enduring friendly partnership and shared focus on regional security have underscored the importance of their relationship. The strengthening of diplomatic relations over the last two decades, along with notable milestones in defence cooperation and economic engagement, reflects the deepening collaboration and connectivity between Russia and Pakistan.
Dr. Nazir Hussain, a security political analyst, foreign affairs expert, and former Dean of International Relations and Politics, told Sputnik News,” I think President V. Putin should run for the next presidential election as well. When we see the 81-year-old person who won the context election and became President of the USA, Vladimir Putin is just 71 years old and has a lot of expertise and energy for domestic, regional, and global politics. So he must context the next presidential election.”
Professor Nazir Hussain, a Pakistani foreign policy expert, additionally expressed his view to Sputnik. “Since the presidency of Vladimir Putin, he has been making remarkable changes in global politics and shifting the global scenario from geo-strategic to geo-economic areas of interest among countries. Now, the world is multipolar. In this regard, great powers play a vital role.”
Shifting the Mindset from Bloc Politics to Economic Cooperation
A momentous development in 2023 was the first shipment of
45,000 metric tonnes of Russian
crude oil to Pakistan, marking the country's first state-to-state import of Russian crude oil in
Chinese currency. This holds significance as it occurred amidst western sanctions on Moscow and the use of yuan for the transaction instead of dollars.
Talking with Dr. Nazir Hussain, a security political analyst and foreign affairs expert, he told Sputnik News, “In the context of oil and trade, Russia is today the world’s leading oil exporter. Russia has emerged as the world's fifth-most ameliorated economy under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin. Based on Russian oil policies, President Putin made a tremendous mark in the global arena by supplying oil all over the world.”
Strong economic
cooperation and
trade between Pakistan and Russia can offer significant benefits to both countries. Russia's status as a
major energy exporter presents opportunities for Pakistan to leverage its oil and gas resources. Pakistan can offer access to
the Arabian Sea and
the Middle East for Russian traders and suppliers.
Further, he added
, “President Putin not only consolidated the Russian economy when he came to power but also gave the world a new horizon. Now Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and even some of the Gulf countries are all going to be under the umbrella of a multi-polar world order, and making new economic alliances. Under the leadership of Putin, the Russian economy has saved its position as a top tenth economy.”According to Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar, the bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Russia grew by 34% in 2022, reaching $760.5 million from July 2022 to May 2023, compared to $567.5 million in the previous year.
Even after over four decades, Pakistan Steel Mills and the Guddu thermal power plant continue to serve as powerful symbols of Russian energy cooperation and investment in Pakistan.
Future Prospects
This presents an opportunity for Pakistan and Russia to capitalize on these gains and enhance Socio-economic cooperation, bringing the two states closer. Both nations plan to negotiate and sign new trade agreements in local currencies to stimulate trade growth and attract investors by reducing import and export duties and tariffs.
To facilitate trade, more importantly, Pakistan and Russia aim to develop joint infrastructure networks encourage shipping lines and establish better air routes to streamline trade and lower transportation costs. This will enable Pakistani traders and businesspersons to explore the Russian market and vice versa, fostering mutual trade benefits.
Significantly, closer ties with Russia could bolster Pakistan’s position in regional and global politics, given Russia's status as a major global power. Both countries share a commitment to regional stability and have cooperated in addressing security obstructions especially in Afghanistan. They can leverage the platform of the SCO, and BRICS to advocate for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
In the current context, overall, Islamabad-Moscow relations indicate positive strides towards constructive engagement across various areas of mutual interest by meeting in a converging area. Both states, however, need to further strengthen their economic, diplomatic, defense, and people-to-people ties to elevate this bilateral friendship and cooperation to new heights.