Address by Mr. Andrey Fedorov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Karachi
Dear readers!
Let me spread the warmest greetings on this day celebrating Day of Russia! This national holiday was established in honour of our Motherland, its vast territory, rich history and culture, diverse and beautiful people. Every year this day is becoming more relevant for our nation. We cherish the heroic deeds of our ancestors, take pride in the achievements of our compatriots and draw inspiration from their successes for our future victories. Today we honour our country and we are united in our sincerest and happiest feelings for Russia!
It is not an exaggeration to say that Russia is going throughan extremely turbulent period in global history. Though, our country has been through numerous critical times and severe trials, but all of the difficulties faced by Russian nation were overcome, as our multinational people met all challenges with dignity and honour. The foundation, the core of this unity and tenacity has always been and always will bea devotion to our Motherland. Which is why I am fully confident that Russia will overpower all the external forces who want to put an end to its existence.
Russia’s current place in the world is reflected in the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, which is a strategic planning document that points out the main current trends in the international relations: the formation of multipolar world order, the rejection of this evolution by the neocolonial Western powers, serious pressure on the UN legal framework, the crisis of economic globalization, the increase of the “power factor” role, and, finally, the growth of Asia’s influence. Following these changes and in order to eliminate the unjust hegemony of the West, Russia prioritizes to support regional integration with friendly nations, improve international mechanisms for ensuring security and development at the global and regional levels and restore the UN’s role as the central coordinating mechanism in reconciling the interests of UN member states. What is more, according to the new Concept of the Foreign Policy, one of our main goals is to strengthen the potential of cooperation within Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which Pakistan is a member of.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to remind that this year marks a very important milestone in our relations – a 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Russia and Pakistan. We had quite a few important episodes in the history of our productive bilateral cooperation: Tashkent Declaration in 1966, the launch of Pakistan Steel Mill venture in 1973 and building of a Guddu Thermal Power Station in 1980-s. However, this year our relations have received a considerable boost. First, I would like to put a special emphasis on the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent address to the Federal Assembly mentioned Pakistan as one of the few countries with which Russia is eager to develop partnership, and this desire was clearly reflected by the practical steps made by the leaderships of both countries. For instance, the Russian-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was held this year in Islamabad on January 18-20. Less than two weeks later, on January 30, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari came to Moscow and met Sergey Lavrov. During these talks, our leaders expressed the willingness to develop ties in a wide range of spheres, such as energy sector, fight against terrorism, trade and economic partnership, humanitarian, cultural and educational cooperation.Moreover, we launched a direct shipping line from St. Petersburg to Karachi and the first batch of Russian crude oil is coming to Karachi port. Pakistan also recently passed a special order to allow barter trade with Russia. Finally, The Chairman Senate of Pakistan recently held delegation level talks with the Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matvienko in Moscow. Both sides emphasized the importance of parliamentary exchanges to further enhance bilateral relations between Pakistan and Russia.Huge progress has been achieved in our cooperation just in the first half of the year. This is why I am extremely optimistic about the future of our bilateral ties and I want to share the celebrations with my Pakistani friends!
Happy Russia Day!
