Current Affairs Activity Class Arooj Shahzad

Topic: Pakistan-Russia Relations

Introduction

The Soviet Union officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics abbreviated to USSR was
a socialist state on the Eurasian continent that existed from 1922 to 1991. The Soviet Union was
a one-party federation, governed by the Communist Party with Moscow as its capital. On 8
December 1991, the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (formerly Byelorussia), signed
the Belavezha Accords, which declared the Soviet Union dissolved and established
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place. While doubts remained over the
authority of the accords to do this, on 21 December 1991, the representatives of all Soviet
republics except Georgia signed the Alma-Ata Protocol, which confirmed the accords. Following
the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, Russia was internationally recognized
as its legal successor on the international stage. To that end, Russia voluntarily accepted all
Soviet foreign debt and claimed overseas Soviet properties as its own.

Phase # 1

 1947: USA and USSR both invited Pakistan at the same time to visit them. Pakistan refused
USSR and visited USA
 1950: USSR helped India in the Kashmir dispute and also give economical and technical support
to them
 1955: Pakistan joined SEATO and CENTO. USSR took this as a firm declaration in the favor of
USA
 1956: USSR offered Pakistan Government Aid at an agreement of breaking alliance with USA.
Pakistan refused.
 1961: Pakistan relations with the USA deteriorated. Soviets agreed to began exploiting oil in
Pakistan. (Turning point to the relations)
 1962: USA helped India in a war with China. The results led Pakistan and USSR closer.
 1963: China began to give aid to Pakistan. USSR doubled that loan up to £11 Million. USSR also
took the neutral stance in the Kashmir dispute. (Earlier it was helping India)
 1965: Ayub Khan made an official visit to USSR to make an agreement on trade and oil
exploration.
 1966: USSR hosted a peace conference to help Pakistan develop relations with India.
Representation of USSR increased in Asia. (Relations developed to an extreme)
 1968: Americans decided to close their Air Base in Peshawar. Soviets began to supply arms to
Pakistan. Pakistan was now getting military aids from USA, China, and USSR. This annoyed
USSR. (Relations started to worsen a bit)
 1971: Pakistan helped to arrange a China-USA agreement. Soviet Union was annoyed as it
implied a special relation between USA, China and Pakistan. Soviet Union signed a Treaty of
Peace and Co-operation in India guaranteeing Soviet help if India went to war with Pakistan.
 1972: Bhutto visited Soviet Union with a hope to rebuild good relations with USSR. In this
meeting Soviets agreed to build a steel mill in Pakistan. (Relations again started getting better)

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Phase # 2

 1979: USSR wanted the occupation of Afghanistan. Pakistan was helping Afghanistan with an
aid from USA which deteriorated Pakistan’s relations with the United Soviet States of Russia.
(Worse Relations)
 After the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, there was the communist support to the Durand Line
issue in late 1979 and the 1980s, Pakistan began to support the Mujahidden who were attempting
to overthrow the Soviet Union and its communist agenda in Afghanistan.
 1984: Cold reception to Zia-ul-Haq when he went to attend a funeral of Andropov (General
Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) in USSR
 1988: Soviet disapproves Pakistan Nuclear Program and USSR began bombing raids on Pakistan.
 Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan but hostile relations between Pakistan and USSR continued.

Phase # 3

 In 1991, Benazir Bhutto drove a high level delegation to Russia and Central Asia after the
disintegration of USSR.

 Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, Russia was
internationally recognized as its legal successor on the international stage. To that end,
Russia voluntarily accepted all Soviet foreign debt and claimed overseas Soviet
properties as its own.
 In 1996, Russia willingly agreed to launch Pakistan's second satellite, named ‘Badr-B, for the
lowest possible charges.

 In 2001, the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Losyukov paid a state visit to
Pakistan where both countries agreed upon cooperating in economic development, and to work
towards peace and prosperity in the region.

Phase # 4

 After the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan's agreement to fight the war against terror greatly led to
improvement of conditions and circumstances that improved the relations between
Pakistan and Russia.

 Changed global paradigm after 9/11/2001

 In 2003, the bilateral trade between Russia and Pakistan reached to 92 million US dollar,
which increased to 411.4 million in 2006.

 In 2007, the relations between Pakistan and the Russian Federation were revived after
the 3-day official visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. It was the first visit of
a Russian PM after 38 years of the post cold-war era.

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 In 2010, both countries established the “Russian–Pakistan Intergovernmental

Commission on Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation to
cooperation in science and technology and education”.

 In 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of Russia stated that Russia was against
developing strategic and military ties with Pakistan because of Russian desire to place
emphasis on strategic ties with India.

 In 2011, Russia changed its policy and Putin publicly endorsed Pakistan’s bid to join the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and affirmed that Pakistan was a very
important partner in South Asia and the Muslim world for Russia.

 2015- A military cooperation agreement that Russia and Pakistan signed during Russian
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s recent visit to Islamabad marks an important shift in
relations between those two countries.

 In June 2015, what was a clear sign of things to come, Russia lifted an
embargo on weapons sales to Pakistan. It began negotiating the sale of Mi-35 multi-role
helicopters to Islamabad.

Conclusions
 Pakistan should diversify its foreign policy
 Bilateral trade needs to be boosted between the two countries in order to promote
economic prosperity and hence strengthen their ties.
 Russian Federation Counsellor Habib Ahmed said Russia was willing to provide Pakistan
technical and financial support for mega transnational projects such as CASA-1000
power supply and TAPI gas pipeline.
 Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stressed upon the need to increase bilateral trade between
the two countries which currently stands at $542 million and does not correspond to their
trade potential.
 He appreciated Russia’s support to Pakistan in its quest to become full member of
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
 Pakistan has offered to Russian oil companies that they could either set up a new
concession block or work on the existing ones.
 The Russian companies will build a 1100-kilometre long pipeline connecting Karachi
Port with Lahore to transport LNG, which will be funded through a $2 billion loan from
Moscow.
 Russia has also offered to sell gas to Pakistan and the first LNG exports will start as early
as 2016. (Oct 2015)
 Pakistan’s foreign policy is now rightly gravitating towards Central Asia and close
relations with Russia would pay us a rich dividend. Instituting a high-level dialogue on
strategic and political issues and building up a mechanism to focus on economic

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cooperation through increased market access to Pakistani products in Russia and building
connectivity in trade and energy sectors will benefit both the countries.

 Friendly and cooperative relations with Moscow will also assist us in securing full
membership of the SCO and to open the door for significant economic activity with all
Central Asian States, rich in oil and energy resources.

 Hydro power generation is yet another area in which Pakistan can seek expertise from
Russia. MoU on investment will facilitate the private sector of the two countries to
benefit from the potential in trade among the regional countries

Technical Terms
SEATO

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for
collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or
Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines.

CENTO

The Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), originally known as the Baghdad Pact or the Middle
East Treaty Organization (METO) was formed in 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the
United Kingdom. It was dissolved in 1979.

SCO

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact is a political, economic,

and military organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of the People's
Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan.

MoU

A memorandum of understanding (MOU or MoU) is a formal agreement between two or

more parties. Companies and organizations can use MOUs to establish official partnerships.

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