Russian FM invites Bilawal for Moscow visit.

ISLAMABAD -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has invited his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to visit Moscow at a time when Islamabad is trying to maintain a fine balance in its ties between the west and Russia.

The invitation was extended by Lavrov during his brief informal interaction with Bilawal during the meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tashkent on Friday, a diplomatic source told media on Saturday.

There was a bilateral meeting scheduled between the two foreign ministers but the late arrival of Lavrov to Tashkent led to the cancellation of the meeting, said the source dismissing reports that there was any tension between Pakistan and Russia or Lavrov refused to meet Bilawal.

Bilawal met foreign ministers of all member states of SCO at the sidelines except Russia and India.

A meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishanker was not on the cards but no bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had raised eyebrows as meetings between Pakistan and Russian diplomats at the sidelines of such regional forums were routine. But the foreign office sources played down the development.

They referred to the engagement of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishanker who even because of scheduling issues could not hold a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart though he met other leaders at the margins of the conference. 'Therefore, we should not read too much into it,' stressed a senior foreign office official while requesting anonymity.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has criticised the coalition government for toeing the United States line, saying that was the reason there was no meeting between Bilawal and Lavrov. PTI leader Fawad Chaudry claimed that Lavrov refused to meet Bilawal. Sources, however, dismissed such claims.

They insisted that Pakistan would continue to seek a cooperative relationship with Russia and Bilawal would visit Moscow at an appropriate time.

Pakistan's relationship with Russia was at the heart of controversy when former Prime Minister Imran khan was removed from power through a vote of...

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