FM Bilawal Bhutto to embark on two-day visit to Russia today

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will embark on a two-day official visit to Moscow from January 29-30 at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, ARY News reported citing the Foreign Office.

The foreign minister will hold talks with his Russian counterpart where the two sides would deliberate upon the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, said the Foreign Office.

Bilawal Bhutto’s visit to Moscow comes a week after Pakistan and Russia signed an agreement on the supply of Russian oil products.

Addressing the press conference at the conclusion of the three-day IGC meeting last Friday, Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had said that the 8th IGC would lay foundation of a ‘new relationship’ between Russia and Pakistan in different sectors including energy, economy, trade, technology, education and business to business transactions.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said both sides during the Inter-governmental Commission meeting had discussed cooperation in range of areas including rail transportation, food security, aviation, education, oil and gas, natural resources and opening up of financial arrangements between the two countries.

A few agreements of mutual cooperation would be signed and some of them were in the pipeline, he added.

On Thursday, Petroleum Minister Mussadiq Malik announced that oil deal with Russia would be signed in March

During the press conference, Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik announced that Pakistan will sign a crude oil contract with Russia in march.

He further announced that another contract with Russia for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to overcome the gas crisis will be signed next winter.