Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad  (SR)

Islamabad, Apr 29: In a diplomatic setback to Pakistan, Russia turned down the request for a bilateral meeting between President Putin and Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the sidelines of the just concluded Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

Bilateral meetings are common at international forums, but to Pakistan's embarrassment, despite 37 heads of states and governments attending the two-day conference in Beijing, Imran Khan could only manage meeting with the Chinese PM and President and the prime minister of Ethiopia and President of Tajikistan.

As reported in the tribune, there was no immediate explanation available from the Pakistani government officials as to why more meetings could not be arranged between the PM and other world leaders. Pakistan's foreign office before the PM's departure to Beijing, had issued a statement in which it said that Imran would not only attend the Belt and Road forum, but would also hold meetings with 'several heads of states/governments and corporate and business leaders on the sidelines of second BRF'.

However, former diplomats were surprised at Pakistan’s inability to arrange more meetings for the prime minister with world leaders in Beijing. As per the Tribune, one of the diplomats, who did not wish to be named, said this was a clear diplomatic failure of Pakistan. He was of the view that a meeting between Putin and Imran at this juncture would have carried a huge significance even if it was just optics.

The sense within Pakistan's diplomatic community is that the Russian decision to stay away from the bilateral engagement could be linked to its cautious approach. “Perhaps, Russia may not want to send a wrong message to India at this stage,” he said referring to Moscow’s close ties with New Delhi. “The cautious approach is attributed to a recent military standoff between Pakistan and India following the Pulwama attack, that is why Putin-Imran meeting could not take place,” added the diplomat.