Pak-Russia ties: PM Khan, President Putin to hold formal meeting today

BISHKEK: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet formally on Friday (today).

According to details, the two leaders are in Bishkek, attending the 19th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State (CHS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

During lunch today, Prime Minister Khan and President Putin also sat next to each other and were also seen engaged in conversation.

A day earlier, the premier had an informal discussion with the Russian president over the dinner.

Talking to a Russian news outlet yesterday, the prime minister expressed a desire to increase military ties with Moscow. Khan said he was happy with the burgeoning relation between Pakistan and Russia.

“This is not the 60’s, things have changed drastically from the past riddled with ‘cold war’,” said the PM.

“Relations between the Pakistan Armed Forces and the Russian Military have increased manifold in the recent past and we would like to take it further,” anticipated Khan.

Answering a question about meeting Putin, Khan said: “I would like to potentially visit Russia, I have visited once in the past and yes, I am probably going to meet the Russian leadership.”