The events are unfolding so swiftly that it has become difficult to keep track of who will be whose friend after Americans pack up from Kabul and leave. One thing is for sure; foes of yesterday will be compelled by the realities of realist politics of today to switch sides and embrace each other.
Russia of today is the successor of Soviet empire of yesteryears, though reduced to much smaller in size. Russia, and then the USSR, which played for centuries the Great Game for gaining influence and foothold in Central Asia and get a direct access to Kabul finally lost the Game to the West in the battlefields of Afghanistan. Along with this defeat, it also lost its imperial glory by ceding a sizeable portion of its territory to independent Central Asian States. It, however, seems that it never gave up its ambitions on Afghanistan; it has been watching with amused interest the plight of NATO forces in Afghanistan. It had read the writing on the wall and was confident that NATO would not meet a fate different from what it itself encountered after a decade-long war of 1980s.
Russia under Putin has revived its hope in Afghanistan and is moving to deepen its geo-economic ties with South Asia as a whole, with Pakistan serving as a gateway for energy trade to the entire subcontinent in advance of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2014. Badly bruised by harsh treatment meted out by the Americans, Pakistan feels compelled to look towards not only its old friend China but also its longtime adversary, Russia. If India after having been in the cold during Cold War can warm up to the US, why can’t Pakistan hope to be friends with Russia? This is what the realist politics is all about. For Pakistan, Russia can not only help the civilian government in Islamabad to shore up its economic record, it can also offer an alternative source of military hardware to the country’s armed forces. Diversifying its sources of military supplies has taken on newfound importance for Islamabad given Washington’s increasing reluctance to supply the full spectrum of arms and China’s continued inability to meet all of Pakistan’s requirements.
To understand the potentials of Pak-Russia friendship, we will have to make an assessment of the present state of US-Russia relations. This subject has dominated the foreign policy debates of both the major contenders of power in next presidential elections of the US which are just round the corner. The Obama administration is being harshly criticized by the opponents for its increased focus on its Pacific Century and allocation of future military and political resources to contain China. In their view, Russia under president Putin is a much greater threat to American ambitions than China. According to Foreign Policy, Russia is the major counterweight to American power and influence. A huge country that straddles what the great geographer Halford Mackinder called the Eurasian "heartland" is sure to operate with substantial effect in the world. A country with thousands of nuclear weapons, still-substantial armed services, and a cornucopia of natural resources will have its innings in high politics. Republican presidential candidate, Romney's assertions about Russia should be seen less as stale strategic thinking and more as a critique of Barack Obama's looming "Pacific shift," which implies that China has moved into position as our top geopolitical foe. Yet Beijing, in the throes of modernization and heavily weighed down by a massive population, increasingly urgent energy needs, and a troubled political transition can hardly be seen as new No. 1 geopolitical foe of the US.
According to this analysis, China's military is still decades away from having any kind of ability to project force over meaningful distances. The 100-mile width of the Taiwan Strait could just as easily be a thousand miles, given China's lack of force-projection capability. Even the quite large People's Liberation Army is full of question marks, with few substantive changes evident since it got such a bloody nose during the 1979 war with Vietnam. To be sure, the Chinese navy is very innovative, with its emerging swarms of small, short-ranging missile boats. And Chinese hackers are among the best in the world. But these capabilities hardly form the leading edge of a global military power.
This, by implication, suggests that with Russia's greater capabilities, and intentions so clearly and so often inimical to American interests, the smart geopolitical move now would be for Washington to embrace Beijing more closely, giving Moscow a lot more to think about on its eastern flank. This was a strategic shift that worked well for President Richard Nixon 40 years ago, when he first played "the China card"; it might do nicely again today.
The present US-China relations do not suggest any potential conflict given the fact that U.S. trade with China amounts to more than half a trillion dollars annually -- more than ten times the level of Russo-American economic interaction. And Beijing also serves as a major creditor. It simply makes little sense to provoke China, as Obama's announced Pacific shift already has. If Romney is right about the return of post-Soviet Russia as the world's bête noire, then any American Pacific shift should be more about alliance with, rather than alienation of, Beijing.
The Russian stance on the issues of US intervention in Syria for regime-change clearly suggest the divergence of interests of both the countries. With reinstallation of president Putin in Moscow, hopes that Russia will support any American initiative are fading away. According to a report by Brookings, the US has a list of demands which Russia may not accept. These include further reductions of nuclear arms, including non-strategic nuclear weapons; a cooperative NATO-Russia missile defense arrangement; joint efforts to deal with the proliferation challenges posed by North Korea and Iran; and consultation on steps to bolster security and stability in Central Asia as the NATO coalition prepares to withdraw its military forces from Afghanistan. The United States is trying to explore ways to increase trade and investment relations with Russia, which could help build a foundation for a more sustainable relationship.
President Putin’s re-election is considered a major challenge to smooth-sailing from the American point of view. Mr. Putin spent his formative years in the 1980s as a KGB officer. As his rhetoric during the election campaign made clear, he holds a wary skepticism about U.S. goals and policies. For example, his comments suggest he does not see the upheavals that swept countries such as Georgia, Ukraine, Tunisia or Egypt as manifestations of popular discontent but instead believes they were inspired, funded and directed by Washington. This may seem like a paranoiac view, but Mr. Putin has made so many allusions to it that it is hard to conclude that he does not believe it. That is a complicating factor for the bilateral relationship.
According to Brookings, Mr. Putin’s experience as president dealing with the Bush administration was not a happy one. In 2001-02, he supported U.S. military action against the Taliban, including overruling his advisors to support the deployment of U.S. military units into Central Asia; shut down the Russian signals intelligence facility in Lourdes, Cuba; agreed to deepen relations with NATO; calmly accepted the administration’s decision to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; and agreed to a minimalist arms control agreement that fell far short of Moscow’s desires. In his view, he received little in return. His perception is that Washington made no effort to accommodate Moscow’s concerns on issues such as the future of strategic arms limits, missile defense deployments in Europe, NATO enlargement, relations with Russia’s neighbors in the post-Soviet space or graduating Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment.
As against yesterday, Mr. Putin faces a tougher opposition at home. Soviet and Russian leaders in the past resorted to the image of a foreign adversary—all too often the United States—to rally domestic support, and one can see aspects of that in Mr. Putin’s campaign rhetoric. But the constituency to whom that appeals is already largely on Mr. Putin’s side. He may conclude that he can focus better on his domestic challenges if his foreign policy results in more positive relations with countries such as the United States. The upshot is that Mr. Putin’s return can and probably will mean more bumpiness in the U.S.-Russia relationship. He will pursue his view of Russian interests. On certain issues, those will conflict with U.S. interests, and Washington and Moscow will disagree, perhaps heatedly.
In this state of US-Russia relationship, Pakistan sees its opportunity in warming up to Russia after 2014. The much-awaited visit of president Putin to Pakistan, the first after becoming president and two significant visits of Pakistan’s army and air chiefs to Russia give some indications of the future Pakistan-Russia relations. It would be the first visit by a Russian head of state to Pakistan which stood on the other side of the Cold War, peaking in its emergence as the staging ground for the U.S. campaign to defeat the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan. It’s now again the frontline state in America’s war against Islamist militants in Afghanistan, but it is a far more conflicted partner than those days of war against the godless communists. So fraught and uncertain is the nature of the relationship with the United States that Pakistan has sought to deepen ties with long-time ally China, but also Russia, the other great power in a dangerously unstable neighborhood.
According to an assessment of warming up Pakistan-Russia relations, Reuters, bilateral visits alone don’t transform ties, and especially ones with a troubled history behind them. And then there is India to be factored in, both for Russia and Pakistan. Moscow has long stood in India’s corner from the days of the Cold War to its role as a top weapons supplier to the Indian military, still ahead of the Israelis fast clawing their way into one of the world’s most lucrative arms markets. A nuclear-powered submarine has just sailed from Russia to be inducted into the Indian navy - a force-multiplier in the military with the sub’s ability to stay beneath waters long and deep and far from home. But the stepped up Russia-Pakistan diplomacy suggests a thawing of ties at the very least. And at another level, by raising the quality and quantity of these exchanges, is Russia signaling it will pursue a multi-vectored policy in a fast changing South Asia? Tanvir Ahmad Khan, a former Pakistani foreign secretary who was also once the country’s ambassador to Moscow, says the two countries are on the verge of ending a “long history of estrangement” and that two factors have led to this landmark development. One is that there is now a national consensus in Pakistan to engage Russia earnestly, and two, “Vladimir Putin’s Russia has read the regional and global scene afresh and recognized Pakistan’s role as a factor of peace and stability.”
Pakistan’s compulsion to diversify its foreign partners is its present ties with the United States which have soured so much that it can longer be considered be an ally, ready to do its bidding as in the proxy war against the Red Army in Afghanistan. And India’s ties with the United States, on the other hand, have been transformed, with Washington virtually legitimizing it as the world’s sixth nuclear weapon state, something that even Russia never went as far to support during all the years as close allies. And if India and the United States are holding ever so advanced joint military exercises (there is one going on now in the Rajasthan desert which has a border with Pakistan) and considering multi-billion dollar defense deals as part of a new booming strategic relationship, Russia and Pakistan are also looking at launching military exchanges. Last year the commander of the Russian ground forces, Col-Gen Alexander Postinov, was in Pakistan and according to Pakistani newspapers discussed with Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani the possibility of expanding defense ties by holding joint military exercises, exchanging trainees and trainers and selling and buying weapons, although it seems these were to be confined to counter-terrorism equipment.
It may be interesting to know that the 50 JF-17 Thunder fighter planes that China is supplying to Pakistan use a Russian engine, and it’s likely that Russia gave the green signal for China to go ahead. New Delhi was probably not impressed, but it has kept its silence. Russia is also reported to have indicated its willingness to get involved in the 1,640 km TAPI project bringing piped gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and into energy-starved Pakistan and India, a project that has been hanging fire for years. Russian investors were also interested in the Thar coal project which involves developing a large energy complex in Sindh province to produce 6,000 MW of coal-based power and introduce to the country the concept of gasification and production of liquid fuel from coal.
Kiyani’s Visit to Russia And The New Great Game
PKKH Exclusive Report: By Atiq Durrani
General Kiani’s visit to Russia has raised the brows of many in the region. We want to aware the nation, for once, of the Post Afghan War scenario that awaits the fate of the region: The weak position of the US/Allies inRussia in Indian Ocean along with China at the straits of Hurmuz. As this alliance strongly surrounds Afghanistan, the anti-US/NATO/ISAF forces will be getting help from the new alliance to throw out the old alliance and wipe its footprints from the region for good. On the Economic End, a regional scenario is thinkable where; Russia will be keen to take human resource for its untapped rich resources from the allied countries and on the other hand will be investing in infrastructure for the rich untapped resources in the countries like Pakistan. Russia benefits from Gawadar, the warm waters and the Middle Eastern Market with an approach of strategic edge in the region by keeping any eye on the routes. Previously Russia has shown its strength by the presence of a strong fleet the Abkhazia region, in the Black Sea, making missile defense shield useless. Now if, as planned, Washington is going to pull out its two divisions of combat forces from the Red Sea, the shield will be totally vulnerable, meaning EU will be on its own. Think of all that and imagine, while one alliance is going into a mess (US-EU), another alliance (Pak-Russia-China) is in the making. Think of all that, and then the visits of Russian officials to Pakistan and Pakistani officials to Russia and derive the results. Dehli and Washington surely need to make some plans to save their face (more like their a$$e$ ) in the coming days.
With the United States and NATO set to leave Afghanistan over the next two years, foreign policies of Pakistan and other neighbors of Afghanistan are also changing. Power in the region is shifting, with the US influence on decline in the region, regional powers are once again gaining in the region and are active to score maximum benefits from the post US/NATO pull out scenario. In this new scenario Pakistan once again became center of the regional politics because of its geographical importance and influence in Afghanistan.
Improving Pak-Russia relations are one of the examples of change in the regional politics. Russia and Pakistan both are changing their foreign policies to seek strong relations with the regional powers. At one end regional powers like Russia and China are encouraging Pakistan in this shift of policies because it’s not only in the favor of Pakistan but it’s also in favor of the region and at the other side US and India are losing their grip on this region and don’t want this to happen. When Mr. Puttin postponed his visit to Pakistan, Western and Indian media started their propaganda against Pak-Russia relations but the recent Chief of Army Staff’s visit to Russia once again closed all doors for this negative propaganda and proved that Russia and Pakistan are determined to take forward their mutual relationship.
In some reports it was mentioned that Mr. Puttin was pressurized by the US through India and the Indian lobby in Russia to cancel his visit to Pakistan. If that’s true and the US-India had managed to postpone Mr. Puttin’s visit to Pakistan then COAS visit to Russia at this time is a nice move by military strategists.
Russia and Pakistan both are concerned with the likely US strategy to manage the post 2014 stability in Afghanistan which has definite implications for both the countries. US came in this region to gain influence and to stop strategic partnership of Central Asian Powers with the South Asian Powers because they knew it will make a powerful block in the region against their vested interests. But their stay in the region since 2001 and their poor strategic policies in the war against terror acted as a catalyst for the initiative of strong strategic relations between Central Asian Powers and the South Asian Powers.
A decade long US war against terror not only made Afghanistan a graveyard for their soldiers and dragged the neighboring countries of Afghanistan in war but it also deeply affected their economy. Now as it is obvious from the situation in Afghanistan and the statements of US Military and Government representatives that US/NATO may leave before their proposed date of exit from Afghanistan, regional powers like Russia and China are back in action once again.
Pakistan enjoys a great strategic edge, serving as a bridge and corridor to different regions. This also gives Russia an attractive spot to materialize on its strategic depth. In the present scenario when US is all set to leave Afghanistan and decline in the US influence in the region, Russia is reaching out to Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve economic ties, secure their borders and to gain influence in the region. Russia eyes a role in Afghanistan and for that they need Pakistan because they know that after the exit of US /NATO from Afghanistan, Kabul will be likely to fall in the hands of elements which will share strong ties with Pakistan at least. Russia cannot achieve its goals in Afghanistan without the help of future Afghan Government; at the same time Russia also want to protect its borders from the militant groups, already active in the region. Russia needs a partner in the region, which may secure its interests and which may not become a threat for its future plans and economics structures to be implemented. For this purpose they don’t have any better option than Pakistan. Only by strong bilateral relation with Pakistan they can achieve their goals in the region.
China the other regional power and key member of SCO (Shanghai Cooperative Organization), an important anti-American regional initiative to bring peace and stability in the region, is also a close ally of Pakistan. Pakistan has strong strategic and economic relations with China. China and Russia are also allies and the SCO is led by both. Pak-China relation also made Russia to improve its relations with Pakistan and Russia’s interests in the region compelled it to join the Afghanistan, China and Pakistan Club.
Reaching warm-water ports through land route and trade with Middle East is another dream of Russia and Pakistan is best suited to meet this demand that will open up new opportunities for the landlocked Central Asian Republics. Gawadar port can play a vital role in the improvement of their trade with Middle East. In this regard President Zardari already announced to provide southern warm water access to Russia during his visit.
As a neighboring country, though there is a cold rift between Pakistan’s and Iran’s policies, both these countries share some regional interests. Iran, who is right now in the Indian block, will have to join the block of Pakistan, Russia and China. Iran and Russia were already sharing strong ties with India, but due to India’s old habit of going down with the sinking ship, probably Iran will re-consider its Middle Eastern policies to make strong and normal ties with Pakistan.
Therefore, ongoing developments between Moscow and Islamabad, high-level visits, and Pakistan’s possible role in the SCO, signs for a greater South and East Asian alliance in the form of the SCO, and an axis of a China-Russia-Pakistan partnership can bring positive omens not only to the region but also to the Asian continent as a whole.
This alliance will play a vital role in the future in both cases, if US/NATO leaves Afghanistan, this will be the end of their influence in this region but if they stay in the region which obviously they can’t afford, it will be the end of US itself because if they stay and the anti US forces already sitting on the gates of Kabul get help from both sides of Afghanistan, that will be the last nail on the coffin of US.
The most important thing in this scenario is the isolation of India in the region. India’s relations with Russia are not as strong as it was before because of their recent military agreements with US. Dehli never had as strong relations with Beijing as Pakistan has. Exit of US from Afghanistan will automatically announce pack-up of India from Afghanistan. Pakistan also never had good relations with India although “Aman ki Asha” tried its best but the comments on Kashmir in recent UN summit by both countries once again proved that without resolution of Kashmir issue it will be only “Aman ka Tamasha”. This will leave India alone in the region and can be pressurize by the regional powers for the resolution of its disputes and normalization of its relations with the neighboring countries.
In this era of the new great game, Pakistan is clearly coming out of the US shadow but Pakistan also needs to have its proper role and share to achieve its strategic and economic objectives in the region. Unlike the western powers, particularly the United States, the Russian federation will not only provide military assistance to Pakistan but it will also provide assistance for strengthening the industrial infrastructure of Pakistan. Since 1950’s when Pakistan joined the anti-communist alliance, Pakistan was close ally of United States. Several billion dollars of economic and military aid was provided by United States and many western powers to Pakistan, but they never assisted Pakistan to uplift the socio-economic conditions and to achieve self-reliance in industrial-technological area. In these 60 years of relationship with western powers they were not able to provide a landmark like Pakistan Steel Mills that was provided by the Russian Federation. Pakistan Steel Mills is the greatest landmark in the history of Pakistan-Russia relations which reflects the base for a longstanding relationship.
Pakistan, in spite of being an active member of the world community in combating terrorism, making all its efforts and sacrifices, always gathered only negative publicity from the western media. Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism were never appreciated by the west and Pakistan is always pressurized to do more. In such situation it will be more useful for Pakistan to expand cooperation with the SCO states, especially Russia and China. Pakistan can develop long-term economic cooperation with Russia. Moscow has expressed interest in participating in the construction of the TAPI (the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India, Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline), CASA-1000 (Central Asia South Asia Regional Energy and Trade) energy project and the Pakistan Steel Mill.
Delay in Mr. Puttin’s visit is not the end of Pak-Russia relation but the visit of Chief of Army Staff’s visit to Russia is definitely a new beginning of the Pak-Russia relations. In the present scenario Russia is in needs of Pakistan to achieve its strategic and economic objectives in the region after US exit from Afghanistan. But Pakistan should not compromise its national interests in these new relations. Pakistan in its re-visit and re-formed policy should have an even handed approach to all great powers, near and distant, to fulfill their national security objectives.
Russia’s Growing Engagement with Pakistan
Smita Purushottam
Asif Ali Zardari’s first official visit to Russia, which, according to his website, was also the first time that a Pakistani President had been officially invited to Russia since 1974, took place on May 11-13, 2011. The bilateral Summit yielded agreements on air services, energy and agriculture. The two sides agreed to maintain regional peace and reiterated support for the joint fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and expansion of coordination on these and other issues. They also agreed to cooperate in bilateral trade, investment, the financial sector including barter and swap schemes, and business and joint projects including the modernization of a metallurgical plant in Karachi, construction of power generation facilities and the development of gas fields in Pakistan.
Since Russia had announced its interest in participating in the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the Joint Statement issued at the Summit mentioned the interest of both sides in TAPI and the Tajikistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia) electricity transmission project. Russian energy companies such as Gazprom are backing the initiative. Interestingly, Gazprom is also seeking a role in Bangladesh.
The two main themes at the Summit were therefore energy, business and economic cooperation on the one hand and combating drug trafficking and terrorism to stabilise the security situation in the region on the other. Russia and Pakistan had earlier discussed transit issues and opening a route to the “warm waters”. So it was not surprising that on the eve of the Summit President Zardari reiterated the invitation to Russia to take advantage of Pakistan’s access to the southern seas.
ASSESSMENTS
The timing of the Summit - just 10 days after the killing of Osama bin Laden - inevitably gave rise to some speculation as to whether it was calculated to send a signal to the US. This needs to be laid to rest. Such high-level visits are planned well in advance. Thus, this visit had been planned after President Zardari told President Medvedev - on the sidelines of the second Pakistan-Afghanistan-Russia-Tajikistan (hereinafter referred to as the PART) Summit at Sochi in August 20101 - that he wished to visit Moscow.
Moreover, President Medvedev and other Russian leaders left no one in doubt about their reactions to the killing of Osama bin Laden.2 The Kremlin welcomed the operation and the Russian Foreign Ministry publicly appreciated the US informing Russia about the operation before President Obama’s official announcement. Dmitry Rogozin, Russian envoy to NATO, reportedly called the liquidation of Osama “a great political success”. Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, justified it by referring to the Security Council resolution adopted after 9/11 “recognizing the US’ right of self-defense under Article 51… The right of self-defense envisages no restrictions. Those who carried out the operation, had a sound legal basis” as per “the right of self-defense under the UN Charter, confirmed moreover in the resolution of the Security Council.” Thus Article 51 allowed “a country against which an attack was made to take all necessary measures to prevent any future such attacks and punish those responsible.”3
A high-level security meeting on terrorist attacks on Russian targets abroad was held a day before President Zardari’s arrival in Russia, inadvertently serving as the backdrop to his visit.
Post American Withdrawal Scenario
Clearly, therefore, the Summit was not timed to exploit Pakistan’s emerging rift with the United States. Instead, it was part of Russia’s ongoing initiatives to play a greater role in stabilising the region before the expected withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan presented the region with “a whole range of potential worst-case scenarios,” with the only hope being “they will not all come true at once”.4
Thus, Pakistan, already suffering from multiple crises, had accelerated its tactical nuclear weapons programme. China is moreover readying itself to take advantage of the American withdrawal. Pakistan immediately rushed to China to find succor, and reportedly weighed in on Afghan President Karzai to throw in his lot with Pakistan and China.5 In fact, the tone of the American Administration seemed to change once the China card was played by Pakistan. The China factor may even be a reason for the Americans to reconsider their withdrawal plans after 2014.
Significantly, the CSTO’s Russian Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha stated that foreign troops needed to stay in Afghanistan.6 Fyodor Lukyanov, the reputed Editor in Chief of Russia in Global Affairs also opined that Russia and neighboring countries were not interested in a quick US withdrawal.
Russia’s Concerns
Like all affected countries, Russia is deeply concerned at the accentuation of instability in the region and its spillover effects into its southern periphery, increase in drug trafficking and terrorism, etc. Russia may also be uneasy at the erosion of its influence in Eurasia, while China increases its stranglehold over the region’s resources, transportation and energy networks. Thus the massive copper deposits at Aynak – discovered by Soviet experts – are now being exploited by China.
Russia has accordingly tried to re-engage constructively in the region over the past few years. Apart from its activism in SCO and CSTO, Russia has intensified its involvement in Afghanistan, through the Russia-Afghan forum, the SCO-Afghan contact group and the CTSO7-Afghan working group. Despite severe funding constraints, Russia has also explored the possibilities of greater engagement in Afghanistan’s development programmes, such as restoring Soviet-era pipelines and hydroelectric stations, and investing in Afghanistan’s mineral, oil and gas deposits – many of which were discovered by the Soviets.
Russia has moreover facilitated the transit of military supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan through its territory, in addition to making available helicopters and other facilities. It is to be hoped that the stand-off regarding stationing of ballistic missile defences in the European theatre does not derail the developing understanding between the US, NATO and Russia for stabilising the region.
Russia may have also concluded that isolating Pakistan from any dialogue to stabilise the region would be counter-productive, and hence intensified its outreach to Pakistan. This explains the PART initiative in 2009 and why Russia publicly supported Pakistan’s membership in the SCO at the Moscow Summit of May 2011, with India also formally applying for SCO membership around this time.8 The bilateral Summit was a logical extension of this strategy.
Implications for India
A perennial question is whether a rapprochement between Russia and Pakistan will adversely impact Indo-Russian relations, particularly whether Russia will sell arms to Pakistan. The Russian Secretary of the Security Council and Pakistan’s Defence Minister were reportedly present at the talks at the recent Summit. India’s relationship with Russia is however too well entrenched to be easily disturbed, while the possibility of major Russian arms sales to Pakistan in the near future is remote. Russia’s outreach to Pakistan is a part of its efforts to stabilise this volatile region, and also part of its multi-vector diplomacy and desire to play a more meaningful role in Asia. Russia probably means to resurrect the role of “honest broker” it played at Tashkent, and India may thus expect a little more even-handedness from Russia. Other than that, India and Russia should not perceive each other’s relationships with other countries as a zero sum game.
Of far greater urgency, especially for India, is the need to address the worsening regional security situation. The Indian PM’s visit to Afghanistan to forge a strategic partnership was a good move. But the effort to shape the agenda for regional cooperation and the contours of a peaceful Eurasia has to extend beyond Afghanistan by proactively reaching out to Russia, the Central Asian countries, the United States and other constructive partners like the EU, UN and the ADB, and even China - to build connectivity and spheres for mutual engagement and cooperation.
The Summit has underlined the necessity for skilful regional diplomacy to manage the complex dynamics and fresh security challenges emerging in the region, which India would do well to factor into its own security strategy.
Russia Endorses Full SCO Membership For Pakistan
Submitted by Aurangzeb on November 9, 2011 – 1:48 am4 Comments
ST. PETERSBURG: Russia on Monday, for the first time, publicly endorsed Pakistan’s bid to get full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made this announcement in response to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani’s address at the 10th Heads of Government meeting of SCO, at the Constantine Palace.
The Russian Premier also supported Prime Minister Gilani’s proposals for implementing trade and energy projects.
He announced financing 0.5 billion US dollars for the CASA- 1000 that would ensure power transmission from Turkmenistan Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Putin said in practical and tangible terms, Russia wants materialization of projects including TAPI (Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project and the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000).
Later, the two leaders held bilateral meeting and discussed several important issues including fight against terrorism and extremism, besides calling for the need to adopt regional approach towards dealing with major challenges.
Russian Premier Putin termed his meeting with Prime Minister Gilani “very pleasant” and expressed satisfaction over bilateral and trade ties between the two countries.
“Pakistan is important for us in trade and economy and it is an important partner in South Asia and in Islamic world,” he told Prime Minister Gilani.
Putin offered Russia’s assistance in expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills and provision of technical support for the Guddu and Muzaffargarh power plants.
He said Russia could facilitate Pakistan in the execution of Thar Coal Project.
Gilani said this was his fourth meeting with Prime Minister Putin. He mentioned that he joined other leaders at the SCO forum despite the occasion of Eid, because of the importance of the forum and also of Pakistan’s commitment to the regional issues.
He appreciated Russia’s support for mega projects including CASA 1000.
Putin supported Pakistan’s stance on war on terror and agreed to pursue the policy of counter-terrorism for ensuring regional peace.
The two Prime Ministers agreed that collective regional efforts were required to eliminate terrorism from the region to usher in peace and stability, and re-direct all energies towards economic interaction among the members of SCO.
No excuse to violate Pakistan sovereignty: Russia
MOSCOW: Russia’s foreign minister, commenting on the Nato cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, said on Monday that a nation’s sovereignty should always be upheld, even when hunting “terrorists”.
“The Russian Foreign Minister… emphasised the unacceptability of violating the sovereignty of states, including during the planning and carrying out of counter-terrorist operations,” the ministry said in a statement.
Pakistan, Russia agree to promote trade, investment
MOSCOW: Pakistan and Russia on Thursday agreed to promote trade, investment and pursue joint projects particularly in energy, infrastructure development, metal industry and agriculture.
In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting of President Asif Ali Zardari and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Kremlin, both leaders agreed that this enhanced cooperation would help develop a strong bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and mutual interests.
President Asif Ali Zardari is on his first three-day official visit to Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart. In the last 37 years, President Zardari is the first Pakistani President, who is visiting Russia officially.
Earlier, in 1974, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, paid an official visit to the then Soviet Union.
Both the Presidents emphasized the importance they attach to promoting stability and peace in the broader region and, in this regard, to continue to enhance contacts, consultations, cooperation and coordination between the two countries.
The two sides welcomed the signing of the agreement between Pakistan and Russia on Air Transport as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources of Pakistan and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation in energy cooperation and cooperation in agriculture sector.
Earlier, President Zardari and President Medvedev held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegations level talks. Both leaders discussed bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern.
President Zardari and his Russian counterpart emphasized the importance of developing mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries, which is to be promoted by the Pakistani Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation that held its first meeting in Moscow in September 2010.
Discussing regional issues, the Presidents underscored the importance of stability and peace in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their support for Afghan-led and Afghan owned efforts towards promoting national reconciliation in Afghanistan.
The Presidents expressed their deep concern about the threat of terrorism and drug related crimes persisting in the region.
Both Pakistan and Russia underlined the importance of joint efforts to fight terrorism and narco related crimes, posing a serious challenge to the international peace and stability – along the whole chain of illegal production and distribution of drugs. The two sides welcomed the signing in October 2010 of the agreement between the Ministry of Narcotics Control of Pakistan and the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia on cooperation on combating illicit trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.
The Presidents recognized the need for promoting trans-regional economic and trade cooperation. Regional development projects would ensure prosperity for the people of the region and it was important to optimally utilize national economic complementarities. They agreed to coordinate their efforts bilaterally as well as through regional multilateral cooperative mechanisms.
In this regard, the two sides expressed keen interest in the implementation of projects related to the creation of a system to transmit electric power from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan (CASA-1000) and to the building of a gas pipeline between Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI).
President Zardari supported Russia’s offer to participate in the projects and underscored the need for their early realization.
The Russian side welcomed Pakistan’s involvement in the activities of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Russia’s support for Pakistan’s joining the SCO alongwith other candidates was reaffirmed subject to the consent of all its members.
President Zardari and Dmitry Devedeve reiterated the importance that the two countries attach to the quadrilateral process (Russian Federation, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan) and reaffirmed their commitment to further interaction in this format in close cooperation with the SCO.
The Presidents commended the considerable progress made in the political and security dialogues between Pakistan and Russia, including at the top level. There has been a notable intensification of contacts on wide range of topics between ministries and departments of two countries, the joint communiqué said.
They commended the Russian business community’s interest in participating together with the Pakistani government and businesses in a number of economic, infrastructure and banking projects. The Russian side reaffirmed the willingness of Russian companies to cooperate with Pakistan.
Pakistan, Russia in talks on militancy, nuclear proliferation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia were looking for ways to tackle militancy and nuclear proliferation at talks on Monday aimed at overcoming decades of distrust between the two countries on opposite sides of the Cold War.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov is leading the Russian side for the two-day dialogue that is also expected to touch on Afghanistan, where both nations have concerns as the United States prepares to withdraw.
“There has been a lot of mistrust between the two countries which has actually ruined their relationship in the past,” said Talat Masood, a retired Pakistan army general and a security analyst.
“They are trying to get over their past and start a new beginning.”
During the Cold War, Pakistan was allied with the United States and the Soviet Union backed India.
The two were bitter enemies in the 1980s when Pakistan supported mujahideen guerrillas battling Soviet troops in Afghanistan and also during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
Pakistan backed Taliban while Russia, along with Iran and India, supported the Northern Alliance opposition.
But ties have warmed since a 2003 visit by Pakistan’s then military president, Pervez Musharraf — the first by a Pakistani leader in 30 years.
“The main issues to be discussed at the talks will be non-proliferation, counter-terrorism as well as regional and global security,” a Pakistani foreign ministry official said.
Threat of militancy, extremism and drug trafficking emanating from the Afghan-Pakistan border region are the main Russian concerns.
Moscow suspects that extremists in Pakistani sanctuaries have links with militants from the North Caucasus and other Muslim Russian regions.
Officials said that Pakistan and Russia could cooperate in tracking down militants from Central Asia living in Pakistan’s tribal areas on the Afghan border.
The two sides may also share ideas on how to tighten command and control of nuclear weapons.
Pakistan’s top concern is to revive an ailing economy that has compounded the civilian government’s problems as it battles a deadly militancy that has spread from the northwest region to the heartland province of Punjab.
Islamabad is interested in Russian investment in its oil and gas sectors as well as in heavy industries, officials said.
“These are preliminary and exploratory talks and we will see how we can move forward from here,” he said.
Economic ties have been sporadic over the decades, with the one major project being the construction of a major steel mill in Karachi in the 1970s with the help of the Soviets.
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