BISHKEK – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan held an informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday during a dinner hosted by Kyrgyzstan president in honour of heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The prime minister arrived in Kyrgyzstan to attend the 19th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State (CHS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being held in the capital Bishkek.
Sources say the premier and Russian president exchanged pleasantries during the dinner hosted by Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
The prime minister also exchanged views with Putin at length during a dinner, a video of which also stumped the internet.
https://twitter.com/zartajgulwazir/status/1139537778495152130
The video captured Imran Khan and Vladimir Putin talking to one another as Indian Premier Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani looked on, while sitting at one end of the table.
Moreover, PM Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi entered the hall room together, but did not greet each other and sat on different corners of the hall room.
Bilateral Meeting with President of Kyrgyzstan
In his first bilateral meeting, the prime minister met the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the two leaders agreed to comprehensively upgrade bilateral cooperation in all fields and enhance land and air connectivity.
The two countries agreed to enhance people-to-people contacts and boost tourism cooperation through friendly visa regimes, stated spokesperson Dr Faisal.
Earlier upon arrival in Bishkek, Khan was received by Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyz Minister for Health Kosmosbek Sarievich Cholponbaev.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the PM’s Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Usman Dar accompanied the prime minister.
The prime minister will have bilateral interaction with other participating leaders on the sidelines, including with Russian President Putin.
Besides Pakistan, SCO’s membership comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan while Observers include Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia.
