The isolation of Pakistan by the major countries of the world has now become a bane for Pakistan’s position in global politics. In a massive embarrassment to Pakistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Islamabad’s proposal of bilateral talks. The incidence took place on the sidelines of the recent Belt and Road summit, which just concluded in Beijing.
A major diplomatic set back for Pakistan, this stance taken by the Russian President definitely shows the weak stand of Pakistan in the global politics. Even at the summit, Imran Khan could only manage to hold few more meetings, apart from the one with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. Imran held a meet with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali and the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, despite the fact that at least 37 heads of state and government attended the two-day Belt and Road Forum (BRF) that concluded on Sunday.
There was no immediate reason given as to why the Pakistani Prime Minister could not hold more meetings with his other counter parts. The Pakistan Foreign Office had, earlier in a statement, announced that the Pak PM would not only attend the summit but also meet several heads of state/government and corporate business leaders.
A number of diplomats like Abdul Basit said, “I cannot imagine our side could have missed seeking a bilateral with President Putin.” He further gave added, “Perhaps, the latter’s tight schedule didn’t permit. I would not like to assume there were reasons other than that.” Though the diplomat tried to hide the actual causes why the Russian president shunned the meeting, another diplomat who chose to be anonymous said that it is a clear diplomatic failure of Pakistan.
One of the sources has brought out the fact that cancelling the talks with Pakistan could concern the ties between Moscow and New Delhi which is valued by both the nations. Russia might not want to send a wrong message to India, keeping in mind the backdrop of the military standoff between Pakistan and India after the Pulwama attack. Moscow is believed to have played a significant role through back channels in preventing any greater escalations in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
If sources are true, then it is clear that Moscow is indeed keeping its friendship with New Delhi at high priority. Declining the proposal of Pakistan PM for a bilateral talk, shows that Russia is not ready to sabotage its relationships with India. While Russian President snubbed the talks with Pakistan, which is a pure diplomatic failure for the terror country, India still holds a significant place in the Russian diplomacy. Indian leadership has proved that India plays an important role in the global power circles and is also supported by major superpowers like Russia.