Pakistan expressed keen desire to purchase high tech weapon system from Russia
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ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan says Islamabad is hopeful of increasing military ties with Moscow ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
The premier, who arrived in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Thursday, will represent Pakistan in the 19th meeting of the council of the heads of states of the SCO.
“We have developed cooperation with Russia between our defense forces … and hope to deepen our contacts,” the PM said while speaking to a Russian publication.
“Most of the 50s, 60s, 70s were spent in the Cold War region, where India was close to the Soviet Union, and Pakistan was close to the United States.
We were in different camps. Now things have changed … It is refreshing that we have developed our contacts with Russia, and they are developing all the time,” he said.
To a question on whether Islamabad intends to purchase weapons from Moscow, the premier said the Pakistani and Russian militaries were already coordinating on the matter.
“First, we hope that our tension with India decreases, so we do not have to buy arms because we want to spend money on human development. But, yes, we are looking for arms from Russia, and I know our military is already in touch with the Russian military,” said the PM.
