On July 3, 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana, Kazakhstan . The premier told Putin that Islamabad and Moscow have a standalone relationship that is not influenced by any geopolitical situation or their connections with other nations .
During a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev, the prime minister also stated that Pakistan wants to increase its cooperation with Russia in a number of areas, particularly energy, trade, and investment .
This is not the first meeting between the two leaders. In September 2022, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan .
