Pakistan FM Hopes for Further Strengthening of Islamabad-Moscow Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he hoped that relations between Moscow and Islamabad would continue to grow stronger.
"Pakistan-Russia relations are on a positive trajectory and I’m hoping they go from strength to strength," Pakistan’s top diplomat, who is currently on an official visit to Japan, said in an interview with NHK.
Bhutto Zardari said he strongly believed that strengthening relations with Russia is required against the background of global economic instability, TASS reported.
Commenting on the supplies of Russian crude to Pakistan, the diplomat said the deliveries were necessary to meet the energy needs of people in his country.
"I don’t think our goal is to shift our imports from anyone to anyone else. Our goal is to meet energy needs of our people," NHK quoted him as saying.
The foreign minister of Pakistan is paying an official visit to Japan and, on Monday, is scheduled to hold meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
In January, the governments of Russia and Pakistan reached a conceptual agreement on Russian oil supplies and agreed to coordinate logistics, insurance, and payment issues before they begin. Pakistan anticipates that imports of Russian oil will satisfy up to 35% of its demand.
