Uzbekistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif meets President Vladimir Putin

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Uzbekistan’s historic city of Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Putin, his Chinese, Turkish and Iranian counterparts, the prime ministers of Pakistani and India and other leaders have gathered at Samarkand to attend the annual meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Samarkand Thursday morning. He is scheduled to hold important meetings with several world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

During their meeting Thursday afternoon, President Putin expressed warmth towards Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the meeting.

Photos released by Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office showed Putin warmly welcoming Shehbaz Sharif with a broad smile on his face. The two leaders reportedly discussed bilateral relations and the regional situations.

It is Shehbaz Sharif’s first meeting with Putin since he replaced Imran Khan, who had met the Russian president in February a day before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Earlier, at the airport PM Shehbaz was received by Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Minister for Public Education Bakhtiyor Saidov, Governor Samarkand Erkinjon Turdimov and Deputy Foreign Minister Gayrat Fozilov.

The prime minister visited the Khizr complex and the tomb of the founding leader of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov in Samarkand. He was accompanied by Minister for Defense Khawaja Asif and Finance Minister Miftah Ismail.

Afterward, he met with President of Tajikistan Imomali Rehmon. The meeting focused on strengthening Pak-Uzbek ties in diverse fields for the benefit of the two brotherly nations.

The prime minister also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand.

The prime minister is scheduled to meet other world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

Soon after his arrival at the Samarkand Airport, the prime minister will proceed to the Hazrat Khizr Complex, where he will visit the Khizr Mosque and will also pay respects at the mausoleum of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov.

The prime minister will attend the banquet hosted by the Uzbek president in honour of the guest leaders.