Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with his Russian counterpart on Tuesday — pushed for stronger bilateral ties. He also thanked Vladimir Putin for “supporting” Pakistan and managing a “balancing act” in South Asia. The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Putin — reiterating support and emphasising their long-standing friendship amid global challenges.

‘Respect Russia-India ties but…’

“I’d like to thank you for supporting Pakistan and trying to have a balancing act in the region. We respect your relations with India….that’s perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations. And these relations would be supplementary and complementary. For the good and progress, and prosperity of the region,” Sharif told Putin.

He also lauded the Russian President as a “very dynamic leader” and reiterated a desire to “work very closely” with Putin in the future. Sharif noted that ties between the two countries had “only improved” over the years. He also indicated plans to “decisively strengthen” the bilateral relationship.

The two leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin earlier this week alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders. This was the first time that the Indian PM had come face to face with his Pakistani counterpart since Operation Sindoor earlier this year. They had kept a notable distance from each other during the entire two-day Summit. PM Modi also delivered a strong message condemning terrorism — citing the devastating Pahalgam attack and subsequent Indian response during his address.

Shehbaz Sharif snubbed?

Multiple reports suggest that the Pakistani Prime Minister was snubbed and sidelined during the SCO Summit. Visuals shared online showed PM Modi engaging warmly with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin while Sharif was largely isolated. A now-viral clip from the event also showed the Pakistani Prime Minister rushing forward to shake hands with Putin after a group photo session. He appeared to draw the notice of the Chinese President while hurriedly approaching the Russian leader — only to be rebuffed as Xi deliberately turned away.

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