Russia rubbishes 'fake reports' on enhanced ties with Pakistan, slams attempts to derail relationship with India

Moscow, May 30 (IANS) Russia on Friday rubbished "fake reports" which cited that it is broadening economic ties with Pakistan, especially by jointly setting up steel mills in Karachi.

Pakistani media recently reported that Moscow and Islamabad are working on expanding industrial collaboration by establishing new steel mills in the country in a bid to revive the cooperation witnessed between the two countries in the 1970s when the Soviet Union designed and funded Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).

The idea, reported Pakistani media, was discussed during a meeting between Haroon Akhtar Khan, a Special Assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister, and Moscow's representative Denis Nazaroof held in Islamabad on May 13.

"The two officials engaged in extensive talks on the prospect of collaboration and agreed to form a joint working group to facilitate the establishment of a steel mill in Karachi," The Express Tribune reported after the meeting.

"Pakistan is a secure and thriving hub for investment and the international community has recognised its potential," Khan was quoted as saying during the interaction.

The reports triggered concerns and also raised doubts considering that cash-strapped Pakistan's economy continues to survive on bailout packages provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Sources in Moscow admitted negotiations taking place on the issue but slammed reports which claimed that a "multibillion dollar contract" has been signed between the two countries.

They reckoned that by manufacturing fake and "completely fabricated" reports, Pakistan has made yet another failed attempt to dent the time-tested India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership which has grown even stronger during Operation Sindoor targetting terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), earlier this month.

"An exaggerated news from someone who wants to derail the relationship for a sensational reason," said a senior Russian government official on Friday when asked about his response to Pakistani media reports.

As the Indian Armed Forces successfully retaliated and also inflicted significant losses on Pakistan, the Russian-made air defence missile system S-400 was credited with shooting down several incoming missiles from across the border.

At the same time, jointly developed with Russia and now largely manufactured in India, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were used to strike high-value targets in Pakistan.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov had lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership while also praising New Delhi for identifying, tracking and punishing the culprits behind the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which resulted in the death of 26 innocent civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stated in his phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month that Moscow expects that the culprits behind the Pahalgam attack "will be identified, tracked and punished", is also slated to visit India, this year.

"I don't think there is anybody, anywhere in the world that doubts the credentials of Prime Minister Modi. His strong leadership is steering the country to global prominence. Both India and Russia stand for a multipolar world order without any global power or a group of countries dominating that order. They stand for an equal international relationship. This has been reinstated in the conversation President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Modi had on May 5," Alipov told IANS on Wednesday.

--IANS

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