On 18 September, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk arrived in Pakistan on a two day visit. On the first day of his visit, he met his counterpart,
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Separately, Overchuk also met the Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir. Following a delegation level meeting at the Foreign Office (FO), both Dar and Overchuk addressed a press conference addressing a host of issues. 

On bilateral and cooperation
At the delegation level talk at the Foreign Office (FO), both countries agreed to “transform their bilateral relations into a solid, mutually beneficial economic partnership.” In a statement, the FO revealed that “the two sides discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and noted the positive momentum in Pakistan-Russia relations over the last two decades. They agreed to pursue robust dialogue and cooperation in areas of trade, industry, energy, connectivity, science, technology and education.” The two sides also promised to back each other at multilateral groupings like the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation in the domain of economy and trade was also signed during the visit. Further, Pakistan revealed that its accession to the MoU on Creation and Development of International Transport Corridor Belarus-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan. In a separate interview to The News International, the Russian Deputy PM highlighted the historical nature of relationship between Pakistan and Russia and pointed out that this relationship has been on a “steady rise in the recent years.” On the pre-existing and growing synergy between the two sides, he added “We have similar views on many items of the international agenda. This opens opportunities for a wide scope of collaboration. There is good potential for business cooperation as well as moving forward with cultural and humanitarian agenda.” Additionally, both parties also discussed energy cooperation and ways to enhance cultural and educational exchange between the two countries. Mr Overchuk also proposed a possible cooperation between Pakistan and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two. In response, Dar expressed his interest in the proposal.

On Pakistan’s BRICS membership
One of the highlights of the visit so far was Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s statement that Russia would back Pakistan’s inclusion in BRICS. In response to a question on Pakistan’s bid for the group’s membership, Overchuk said “We would be supportive of it.” Dar expressed his gratitude for Russia’s backing and told reporters that “Pakistan is extremely grateful for Russian support in our bid for BRICS membership.”

On security and defence cooperation
A statement released after the meeting between General Munir and Overchuk revealed that both parties discussed “matters of mutual interest, regional security, and bilateral cooperation.” Both sides also reiterated their commitment to expanding historical “security and defence cooperation” between the two countries. Gen Munir also emphasized Pakistan’s commitment towards “enhancing its traditional defence ties with Russia.” Overchuk lauded the crucial role played the Pakistan Armed Forces in combating terrorism in the region and making efforts to ensure “peace and stability.”

References
Baqir Sajjad Syed, “Pakistan, Russia seek more avenues for cooperation,” Dawn, 19 September 2024
 “Russian DPM meets COAS to discuss defence, regional security,” The Express Tribune, 19 September 2024
Kamran Yousaf, “Russia backs Pakistan's BRICS bid,” The Express Tribune, 19 September 2024
Israr Khan, Mariana Baabar, Muhammad Anis & Zarghon Shah, “Moscow to support Islamabad’s inclusion in BRICS: Russian deputy PM,” The News International, 19 September 2024