At a time when the entire world is closely watching events unfolding on the Russia-Ukraine border, PM Imran Khan and his delegation find themselves in Moscow on a two-day official visit. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine following which explosions could be heard in the capital and other parts of the country. |
This is undoubtedly an extremely delicate position the PM finds himself in and he will have to be extremely tactful diplomatically during the meetings and interviews to avoid getting drawn into a conversation on Ukraine. Though there has been a lot of talk regarding the timing of the trip, it has been made clear that the visit was scheduled far in advance and it has no relation to the ongoing tensions in Europe. In fact, earlier this week, Islamabad also expressed its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nonetheless, the PM and his delegation should be cautious about anything that may be construed as choosing sides in the ongoing conflict.
Apart from navigating these diplomatic challenges, this is an extremely important trip, and is the first one by a Pakistani PM since 1999. In addition to discussing the strengthening of bilateral relations, energy projects will be high on the agenda. Experts are of the view that this visit can open up new avenues for cooperation, especially considering how Russia is the world’s largest energy supplier.
During his meeting with President Putin and Russian business leaders, PM Khan is expected to seek investment in Pakistan’s oil exploration sector and seek support to penetrate Central Asian markets. It is also important that progress is shared regarding The Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project (PSGP), and that Russian assistance is sought to address the hurdles holding back the implementation of the project.
It would be a great success if we are able to attract investment from Moscow in the energy sector given our recent woes and economic struggles. This trip could prove to be consequential in many aspects, so it is imperative that we stick to the core agenda and ensure that our words are extremely calculated and measured in reference to the ongoing tensions in Europe. It would be an understatement to say that this trip will be a test for our diplomacy skills.