Prime Minister Imran Khan aims at reinvigorating ties with Russia during his two day trip there. In an interview with the state-owned media group Russia Today he said Pakistan wanted to have trade relations with all countries to lift its populace out of poverty. A day earlier PM’s Commerce Adviser Razak Dawood had underlined the need to enhance exports to Russia and the Central Asian states. Last year Pakistan settled a 40-year-old trade dispute with Russia by paying $93.5 million to Moscow. The issue was supposed to have been a major hurdle in boosting the country’s trade ties with Russia. Pakistan is also keen to get Russian investment and both countries have signed a revised deal for laying the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline, formerly known as the North South Gas Pipeline, with a major shareholding for Islamabad.
Pakistan was a part of the US-led bloc during the Cold War. The USA was unhappy when Pakistan initiated economic ties with the former USSR, leading to technical and financial assistance for the construction of the Pakistan Steel Mills. Mr Khan has now underlined that Pakistan will not play bloc politics, which is a positive stand.
What remains to be seen is how Mr Khan manages to maintain a policy of non-alignment. While developing relations with China and Russia, Pakistan needs to maintain friendly ties with the USA and Europe also, which constitute the largest destinations of Pakistan’s exports. Mr Khan has chosen to visit Russia at a time when tensions between Russia and the West have further escalated on the issue of Ukraine. He has to ensure that his visit is not misinterpreted.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizes Ukraine rebel regions as independent and describes Ukraine as an ‘integral part of Russia’s history’, Pakistan is required to maintain a balanced position. There is vital defence cooperation between Pakistan and Ukraine , particularly in the field of defence production, while Ukraine has also emerged as a major country exporting wheat to Pakistan. The Russia-Ukraine stand-off has already raised oil prices, creating problems for Pakistan. Pakistan has to win more friends without losing the old ones.
