Web desk: After the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif held an important meeting in Beijing, which was also attended by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
During the meeting on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has excellent relations with Pakistan. He expressed sorrow over the human and financial losses Pakistan has suffered due to natural disasters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on the occasion, said that Pakistan wants to further strengthen its relations with Russia. At present, ties between the two countries are moving in the right direction and growing stronger.
He added that Pakistan wishes to expand cooperation with Russia in trade and other sectors, and that he was very pleased to meet President Putin.
Before this, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Beijing on Tuesday, in a rare three-way meeting widely viewed as a challenge to Western alliances and influence.
Xi first held official talks with Putin at the Great Hall of the People before inviting him to his personal residence, where he described the Russian leader as an “old friend.” A few hours later, Kim arrived in the Chinese capital aboard his armoured train, according to media reports.
The three leaders are expected to appear together on Wednesday at a grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. Observers say the gathering highlights Xi’s push for a “new global order” amid escalating tensions with the West.
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