ISLAMABAD/MOSCOW – Officials from Pakistan and Russia have clarified that no formal invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan has been extended yet to attend the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
The clarification from the foreign offices of both the countries was given after the country’s local media claimed that an invitation had been extended to PM Imran Khan by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, when the two leaders met at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Bishkek last month.
“We drew attention to the publications in a number of South Asian media that the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan was invited to the events of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-5) in Vladivostok (September 4-6, this year) as the guest of honour…”, the statement by Russia’s foreign office said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office also responded to the media reports of the Forum invitation being extended to PM Imran, calling them speculative. However, it was also clarified that the matter of no invitation did not mean a rift in ties. The statement was issued in a tweet by Foreign Office spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal.
https://twitter.com/DrMFaisal/status/1148452125447471104
The East Economic Forum will be held in the Russian port city of Vladivostik from September 4-6 this year. The forum meeting has been taking place since 2015 to invite investment for Russia’s eastern region.
Prime Ministers of India, Malaysia and Japan as well as the President of Mongolia are invited to attend the Forum. The EEF will be followed by the India-Russia annual summit between Modi and Putin.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-will-be-putins-special-guest-at-russia-economic-conference/
