Vladimir Putin has no immediate plan to visit Pakistan as there were not enough “substance” for a trip, the first by a Russian President, the country’s envoy here has said.
“The problem is that usually the purpose of the visit is not participation in ceremonies. The visit should have some substance,” Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov said at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), a leading think-tank, where he was delivering a lecture on Pak-Russia relations on Thursday. “As soon as the substance is ready, we can discuss the visit,” Dawn newspaper quoted him as saying.
Dedov defined the substance as “signing of documents” for cooperation, “preparation of plans” for expanding ties and “declarations”. No Russian or even Soviet president has ever visited Pakistan.