MOSCOW: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Mushahid Hussain, hoped that Pakistan could join BRICS, an intergovernmental organization that is evolving into a cohesive geopolitical bloc, and welcomed “Russian goodwill towards Pakistan”. . The senator is visiting Russia at the invitation of the ruling “United Russia” party, during which he met with former President Dmitry Medvedev (who is President Putin’s number two) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a press release received here said.
He also participated in the newly formed International Forum for ‘Freedom of Nations’, where he was elected as a member of the forum’s 20-member standing committee. The forum was organized by the United Russia party. Senator Hussain co-chaired the plenary session of the Forum, where Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke and Senator Hussain had a comprehensive conversation with former President Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia.
Senator Hussain and Dmitri Medvedev discussed Pakistan-Russia relations, the situation in Afghanistan, the war in Gaza and “the limitless possibilities of Pakistan-Russia cooperation in the region, especially in energy and economic connectivity”, adding that “Pakistan’s interests are intertwined in of this region where Russia is a key factor”. Senator Hussain told Mr. Medvedev that the likely election of President Trump in the November 2024 US presidential election will qualitatively change the geopolitics of the region. Senator Hussain said he found “tremendous goodwill” towards Pakistan in all official and popular circles in Moscow.
During the visit, Senator Mushahid Hussain also delivered a lecture at the Russian Diplomatic Academy, the first prominent Pakistani to be invited to address the Diplomatic Academy in 50 years. The topic of the interview was ‘Pakistan and the Changing Regional Scenario’. During his speech, Senator Hussain also highlighted the fact that there is “no fundamental conflict of interest” between Pakistan and Russia, therefore “Pakistan has remained neutral towards Ukraine and abstained from voting in the UN on this issue”. He welcomed growing relations between Pakistan and Russia especially in the fields of energy, connectivity, education, regional security including Afghanistan and cooperation in multilateral forums including SCO and UN. He also expressed optimism about Pakistan joining BRICS with Russian cooperation as Russia is the BRICS chairman in 2024.
He said that in the future four Muslim middle powers – Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will play a decisive role in regional affairs. he also praised President Putin’s stance on Islamophobia. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session by students of the diplomatic academy. Senator Mushahid Hussain also met Senator Chizhov, Chairman of the Russia-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group. Senator Mushahid Hussain also met leading members of the small Pakistani community in Moscow and had several interviews with the Russian media. Based on his impressions of his visit to Russia, Senator Mushahid Hussain made three basic points: a) the two countries have “strategic space” for re-building relations in various fields after the end of foreign intervention in Afghanistan; b) Pakistan needs a “regional reset” in its foreign relations to take major initiatives for regional connectivity with Russia and other neighboring countries; c) China is a common factor of unity and connectivity for Pakistan and Russia as both countries have close strategic relations with Beijing. Senator Mushahid Hussain has also been invited to be part of the international observers who will visit the presidential elections during 15-17. March 2024.
