Increased People To People Contact To Strengthen Pak-Russian Relations: Envoy

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Dec, 2021 ) :Consul and Director, Consulate General of the Russian Federation Karachi Andrey G. Fesyun here Monday called for increased people to people contact between Pakistan and Russia to strengthen the cultural, economic and political relations between the two countries.

Addressing a one-day conference on "Pakistan-Russia Cultural, Educational and Economic Relations" held at Area Study Centre of University of Peshawar, he underlined the importance of increased people to people contacts and importance of synergies and cooperation between Russia and Pakistan in the changed regional and global scenarios.

He talked about the teaching of urdu and Pashto languages in Russia and stressed for a group of experts for translation from Russian language.

He said Russian and Pakistani banks have developed good relations, adding that the relations shall be strengthened from the top when the leaders of the countries visit each other.

Russian envoy also discussed the importance of regional integration in context of Afghanistan. He expressed his fears regarding terrorist groups with trans-national agenda and drugs in Central Asia and Russia.

The conference was jointly organized by Area Study Centre (Russia, China and Central Asia) University of Peshawar and Consulate General of the Russian Federation, Russian Centre for Science and Culture, Karachi.

Addressing on the occasion, Prof Dr Shabir Ahmad Khan, Director Area Study Centre focused on changes in Russian foreign policy as well as shift in Pakistan foreign policy.

In the post-Soviet era Russia has changed the India-centric policy in South Asian context and there is clear shift in policy towards Pakistan he said adding that Pakistan has also reversed the Frontier Policy inherited from the British and now Russia is a strategic partner.

He said future integration of Russia-Central Asian-Afghanistan-Pakistan to South Asia, Arabian Sea and beyond will guarantee long term engagement between Pakistan and Russia.

He said a historical convergence between Russia and Pakistan has developed on Afghanistan and both the countries have aligned their approaches for sustainable peace and development of the region.

He said Russia desired to have a strong and effective government in Afghanistan which could control the drug-trafficking as well as could maintain peace for the sake of stable and peaceful Afghan-Central Asian border.

Pakistan therefore supports and welcomes Russia's involvement in stabilizing Afghanistan.

Prof Shabir Ahmad Khan said that for Pakistan regional connectivity made the core of strong regional policy particularly in the direction of Central Asia and Russia via Afghanistan.

Dr. Azmat Hayat compared the relations of Pakistan with Russia and the United States of America and said that relations with former one is permanent and everlasting while with the second one always remained temporary.

Russians have a sense of community, connectedness and belonging to others and therefore relations between Pakistan and Russia will based on equality and connectedness.

He also said Pakistan has shifted from geostrategic to geoeconomics, adding that Russia has always supported Pakistan in international forums particularly in SCO.

Dr. Ahmad Farhan Saeed focused on China's growing economic influence and the deepening of US-India relations has developed a new interest and need for a better and deep relationship between Pakistan and Russia.

Although we are operating below the potential level with bilateral trade volume of less than a billion US $1b but there are some positive developments in terms of economic and political integration.

Since 2001 and contemporary developments, such as, the 1,100 kilometers long PSGP (Pak Stream Gas Pipeline Project) with worth of US $2.5 billion in Pakistan carries a strong reflection of better Economic integration in future.

Dr. Muhammad Ali Dinakhel focused on the evolution and development of literary links between Russia and Pakistan. He discussed Translations from Russian into Urdu and Pashto and translation of Pakistani literature into Russian language.

Dr. Faizullah Jan focused on people to people links between Russia and Pakistan. He informed that the department of journalism has recently organized a webinar with Sputnik.

Dr. Abdul Hamid Khan discussed importance of Russian literature in the context of world literature. He said that Russia has given birth to some great literary figures who have earned global fame for their services to reform society through writings.

Dr. Shabir Ahmad Khan concluded the conference by vote of thanks to the guest and all the participants.

He said Pakistan has diversified its foreign relations having strong relations with Russia as both the countries are looking to bright future in terms of bilateral relations and cooperation at multilateral forums.