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Russia on Wednesday said it would support Pakistan's bid to join BRICS as the two countries decided to further strengthen their ties by promoting bilateral trade and cultural links.
"We are glad that Pakistan has applied (for membership). BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are friendly organisations. We will support this,” Russian deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said at a press conference after talks with his Pakistani counterpart and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
"Over the past year, we have seen a significant expansion of BRICS, and countries from all over the world are showing great interest in joining,” Overchuk was quoted as saying by Russia's state-owned TASS news agency.
BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, and South Africa joined in 2011.
On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia became its full members.
During the press conference, deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar stated that discussions with his Russian counterpart focused on expanding economic relations between the two countries.
He said that Pakistan-Russia trade reached the $1 billion mark last year, and expansion of trade ties by working out logistics and other related issues was a priority for both nations.
"Energy cooperation with Russia holds potential, and we aim to explore this avenue further,” he said, adding that Pakistan is also eager to develop connectivity projects, including rail and road networks between the two countries and beyond.
Dar also said Pakistan views Russia as an important player in the West, South and Central Asia, and strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia remains an important priority for Pakistan's foreign policy.
He said Islamabad aims to continue cooperation with Moscow on realising the common goal of peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He also highlighted Russia's historically strong relations with the Muslim world and its position on the Palestine conflict, saying Pakistan greatly appreciates Russia's stance that freedom of speech must not be an instrument to disrespect a revered personality or religion and not to hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
Dar hoped to continue high-level contacts and reiterated Pakistan's commitment to strengthen relations with Russia.
The Russian deputy prime minister said he discussed prospects for collaboration between Pakistan and the Eurasian Economic Union, which consists of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Caucasia and Russia.
“We have discussed opportunities for implementing the free trade agreement between Pakistan and these five countries and we look forward to further discussing and finalizing the agreement,” he said.
Overchuk said an inter-governmental commission meeting later this year in Russia will provide an opportunity to further trade and economic relations between the two countries.
He also said Pakistan and Russia have the same goals and visions for development and economic ties within the SCO, including connectivity, addressing the climate agenda, food security, energy transition and energy security.
Radio Pakistan reported that the two sides, during delegation-level talks between Dar and Overchuk, agreed to pursue robust dialogue and cooperation in areas of trade, industry, energy, connectivity, science, technology and education.
The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and agreed to continue coordination on multilateral fora including at the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation.
Overchuk's visit is taking place in pursuance of the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Vladimir Putin on transforming bilateral relations into a solid, mutually beneficial economic partnership.
Relations between Pakistan and Russia have recently improved after estrangement during the Cold War. The visit comes ahead of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which will be held in Islamabad.
The two countries are not just exploring options to deepen economic ties, but Russia is also keen to sell arms to Pakistan.
The two countries have already been holding regular joint military exercises since 2016, which is another sign of deepening ties between Moscow and Islamabad.