Russian envoy for new era of ties with Pakistan

[Creder]

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of Russia in Pakistan Andrey Sergeevich Budnik has said that Pakistan and Russia should begin new era of relationship after forgetting the bitterness of the Cold War.

Talking to Nawa-i-Waqt at a diplomatic function, he said that that Russian gas company Gazpam was ready to take part in the construction of Pak-Iran gas pipeline. “Russia has already offered to upgrade Pakistan Steel Mills. It is up to Pakistan government to accept this offer,” he said.

When asked about the prospects of cooperation in the field of space research and defence, the Russian Ambassador said that Russia was ready to help Pakistan in space research. As far as defence is concerned, it is possible, he said.

Asked about the Indian objection on defence purchases from Russia by Pakistan and the Russian stance that India was main purchaser of defence weapons from Russia, he said, “Now circumstances have changed. India is also purchasing weapons from US, France, Britain and other countries while its dependency on Russia is decreasing.”
When asked if the presence of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan was cause of concern for Russia, he replied in affirmative.

To a question, he said the US will keep some of its forces in the US for long, adding that Soviet Union had pulled all its forces from Afghanistan after Geneva Accord but the US will not do so. He said that the Soviet forces had entered Afghanistan in 1970s because Moscow thought that its southern border was unsafe.

 

[Creder]

wake up you sleeze bags (pakistani politicians) ..stop licking US boots, Russians extended a hand of friendship in 47 and we didnt take it..We are sh** out of luck but things can take a turn for the positive if we try

 

[flameboard]

ISLAMABAD: In the run-up to the third round of strategic dialogue, Pakistani authorities are getting irritated over the lack of US interest in resolving the country’s long-term regional issues and in providing economic support despite publicly declaring it a key ally in the war on terror and appreciating its sacrifices.

The authorities are also dissatisfied with the ‘triple accounting’ by the United States of its economic assistance to Pakistan, although the overall assistance remained less than $1.5 billion in a year. They also grumble that Pakistan has not been given market access for its products they believe it deserves in comparison to other countries.

“Since our engagement with US after 9/11 about more than nine years ago, the United States has made wide-ranging trading arrangements with Latin American countries, African nations and even some states in the Middle East but greater market access to Pakistan still remains far off,” said a government official.

Officials said that these were some of the issues Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani would raise again with the US authorities as part of the Pakistan-US strategic dialogue to be held in Washington next week.

“The US actions and assurances do not match when it comes to Pakistan’s role and returns it should get,” the official said.

In background discussions, the official said the US leadership never missed an opportunity to assure Islamabad how central they considered a stable Pakistan to achieve global and regional peace and yet they looked the other way when the government discussed US role in resolving a ‘proxy water war launched by India’ besides the longstanding Kashmir issue that was the key to regional stability.

They said India had launched a full-scale water aggression against Pakistan by initiating a number of controversial projects on rivers allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 waters treaty.

Pakistan wanted the US to play its role in addressing its concerns, they said.

They said these irritants had repeatedly been discussed with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama’s special envoy Richard Holbrooke but without any tangible progress beyond diplomatic pleasantries. They, however, agree that the US has moved in appreciating Pakistan’s concerns relating to the Afghan situation.

Sources said the United States had committed to provide $7.5 billion assistance in five years to Islamabad under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act at the rate of $1.5 billion in a year.

As part of Friends of Democratic Pakistan, the United States had assured last year to help Pakistan overcome its economic problems by offering more assistance but “when we got back to the US authorities for follow up, we realised that its pledges at FoDP were part of its earlier commitments made under the KLB Act”.

The flood-related US support, the sources said, also came under the KLB amount of $1.5 billion a year.

Talking about trade facilitation, the official said that Pakistan had also not been able to materialise Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in areas affected by war and earthquake for which the US had given assurances many years ago. “We now believe that ROZs have lost their opportunity cost.”

He said the even the European Union had been favourable in extending market access to Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake but the US did not make any progress on that account.

Between 2000 and 2009, the US trade with Latin America increased by more than 80 per cent because of North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement and bilateral FTAs with Chile while its trade with African nations increased by about 30 per cent under the 2000 African Growth and Opportunity Act, but Pakistan’s ROZs and bilateral investment treaty remained a pipedream.

They said the US cooperation with Pakistan for resolving the energy sector problems had also remained limited to lip-service. Rather it opposed the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline that was key to Islamabad’s energy sector needs over the next couple of decades.

 

[flameboard]

Likewise US and Pakistan relations aren't going too great either. US is leaving Pakistan alliance. BTW if you ever notice in official speeches by the US government they never call Pakistan a friend they just call it an ally putting the relationship in a place where Pakistan is only there for the strategic interest.

 

[flameboard]

If Pakistan replaces Russian engines with western ones and buys Russian jets we will have additional valuable fighter jets, with an edge over Indian jets. Transfer of tech could probably be an option. If there is an oppertunity we need to exploit it.

Plus we could sell our UAVs to the Russians they are in need... and from what ive seen our industry has the capability to beat and exceed current Russian UAVs.

 

[hahahaha]

Not possible... Russian needs money which your really don't have.. Russia is packed with India for at least 15 years... You think India would let Russia to just arm an enemy? Russians will loose their biggest partner.. Be practical.. You don't have money to fill in their pockets to please them..

 

[somebozo]

Russians extended a hand of friendship in 47

They never did..their preference was always India and whatever hand they extended had the potential to be retracted upon Indian protests. Only if Russia political thinking can evolve beyond "bigger is better" then we can have a meaningful relation with them.

 

[ISRO Go!]

If Pakistan replaces Russian engines with western ones and buys Russian jets we will have additional valuable fighter jets, with an edge over Indian jets. Transfer of tech could probably be an option. If there is an oppertunity we need to exploit it.

Plus we could sell our UAVs to the Russians they are in need... and from what ive seen our industry has the capability to beat and exceed current Russian UAVs.

Guys check out this

 

[SEAL]

Not possible... Russian needs money which your really don't have.. Russia is packed with India for at least 15 years... You think India would let Russia to just arm an enemy? Russians will loose their biggest partner.. Be practical.. You don't have money to fill in their pockets to please them..

Your jokes ain't funny you need to work hard Banglori joker.

Now leme tell you Russia want access to warm water ports in Russia its called "Katherine dream" something like that and when Russian ambassador said Gazprom is ready to built I-P gas pipe line it means Russia wants to invest Millions of $ in Pakistan energy sector.

 

[BATMAN]

US is changing its strategy towards the region so shall Pakistan adopt to the emerging picture.