Russian president postpones Pakistan visit

The Express Tribune

Russian President Vladimir Putin has postponed his visit to Pakistan, saying that he has other engagements scheduled on the same dates, the Pakistani foreign office said on Thursday. However, Express News reported that he postponed his trip due to security concerns. According to a press release issued by the Pakistani foreign office, the quadrilateral summit between Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Afghanistan which was scheduled for October 2 and 3 has also been postponed. In a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, Putin expressed his eagerness to “jointly enhance efforts to further develop Russian-Pakistani ties” and “advance mutually beneficial trade and economic projects.” The Russian president wrote, “I am confident that in future we shall be able to find opportunities for arranging our personal meeting. We shall always be happy to receive you in Russia”. The new dates for the summit will be sorted out after seeking availability of the participating leaders through diplomatic channels.