Russian deputy PM arrives in Islamabad on a two-day visit

ISLAMABAD: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday on a two-day visit to hold strategic talks with Pakistan officials.

On his arrival at the airport, the deputy prime minister, who was accompanied by a high level delegation, was welcomed by Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia Muhammad Khalid Jamali and Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Shafqat Ali Khan.

During the visit, Alexei Overchuk will hold extensive talks with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The visit is part of a wider effort to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Russia and Pakistan, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, and connectivity.

Pakistan and Russia enjoy cordial relations based on goodwill, amity and trust, which is reflected in the multi-faceted bilateral cooperation including in trade, energy and connectivity.

Pakistan has ramped up its energy imports from Russia, a move aimed at easing economic challenges, including inflation and a foreign exchange crisis.

Also read: Geopolitical tensions will not affect Pak-Russia relations: PM Shehbaz

Last year, Islamabad started buying discounted Russian crude oil after fuel prices surged due to geopolitical tensions.

In September 2023, Pakistan received its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia, marking the second major energy deal between the two nations.

Pakistan plans to reduce its crude oil imports from Russia to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from 154,000 bpd in 2022, in an effort to cut its import bill and manage economic pressures.