Pak-Russia Relations

Past:

Present:

Military cooperation:

Joint military drills in North Caucasus

Economic cooperation:

Gwadar port for trade and access to Indian ocean.

Prospects:

Shift in geostrategic environment:

Russia is motivated by fears of a growing presence of Islamic State militants in neighboring
Afghanistan. The IS is present not only in Nangarar province which borders KP but also in
northern Afghanistan’s border regions with Central Asia. Russia has warmed up to Pakistan as
well as to Taliban insurgents battling the upstart Islamic State group affiliate known as
Khorasan Province. In the latest move to strengthen ties, Russia last week named an honorary
consul to Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

From Russian perspective:

Reassert presence in its backyard:

Counter US influence:

Influence:
Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, stated that “Taliban interests objectively
coincide with ours.” Both Moscow and the Taliban perceive the Islamic State (ISIS) and its local
branch (Islamic State-Khorasan Province, or ISKP) as an enemy and Russia would rather see a
stable government in Afghanistan with whom it can negotiate over issues such as drug
trafficking and regional integration initiatives.

Petr Topychkanov, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,
says Russia worries about the US presence in Afghanistan. “Russia is concerned about the long-
term presence of the US and its allies in Afghanistan, and therefore it’s in Russia’s long-term
interests to have an inside view of the situation in Afghanistan,” he said, saying that Pakistan
provides the viewing platform.
Afghan peace:
Moscow no longer views the Taliban as a security threat; it views them as a legitimate stakeholder in Afghanistan. The Taliban have
been fighting against the ISIS in Afghanistan and assured the regional states that their struggle remains confined to Afghanistan

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Market for weapons:

Sale of gas:

From Pakistan:

Military cooperation:
Pakistan has also been turning to Russia to diversify its military hardware. The latest acquisition
of defence materiel has been the delivery of four Mi-35M heavy attack helicopters, part of a
$153 million helicopter deal the then-COAS General Raheel Sahrif concluded in Moscow in
June 2016. The Pakistan military is reportedly interested in buying another 20 helicopters.

Economic cooperation:
Finally, Russia could potentially invest in the US$60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
project. Pakistan would very much welcome this, as it would further deepen the connectivity of
Pakistan with the region and Central Asia.

An ally:
Pakistan has also been seeking to diversity its portfolio of strategic partners as a result
of increasingly estranged Pakistan-US relations, especially following the elimination of Osama
Bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011 by US Navy SEALs. While Islamabad has a deep and long-
standing military relationship with Beijing, Pakistan’s generals would also recognise that putting
all the country’s military eggs in the Chinese basket would not be a good idea. It would simply
be replacing one dependency for another. Accordingly, partially pivoting to Russia has been a
logical policy move on the part of Islamabad.

Convergence of interests in Afghanistan:

Both countries now feel that the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan is a threat to their
security
the most important issue bringing the two countries closer together is their respective support
for the Taliban in Afghanistan. During a Congressional hearing early last year, General
Nicholson, commander of US Forces Afghanistan, stated that the Russians were providing
military support to the Taliban. Russia vehemently rejected those accusations. However, the
Russians have admitted to engaging with the Taliban, arguing that maintaining a strong
relationship with the Taliban is critical for political stability in Afghanistan. The Russians
also argue that the Taliban is the only bulwark against the greater threat, the Islamic State in
Khorasan (ISIS-K), a branch of Islamic State active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is a moot
point. Regardless of the merits of the Russians’ claims about the threat posed by ISIS-K,
Moscow’s support of the Taliban dovetails nicely with Islamabad’s backing of the group

Challenges:
United states:

India:

History:

The Way Forward:

It is clear that Pakistan and Russia both find it mutually beneficial to develop greater economic and
military ties and there is great potential in fields of trade, energy and infrastructure development. For
Russia, Pakistan has the potential to provide market for its defense supplies and investment in the
energy and infrastructure sectors. It is to Pakistan’s utmost advantage to have good relations with all
major powers in the region including Russia which is a permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council. This, along with the opening up of newer export markets, will enable Pakistan to
explore untapped markets. Similarly, Pakistan and Russia can do a lot more to enhance cooperation in
fields other than economy and defense. Anti-terror cooperation between Moscow and Islamabad can
also be strengthened at multilateral forums like the SCO. Pakistani and Russian security interests are
increasingly intertwined, so Moscow cannot afford to ignore the emergence of threats from
transnational terrorist groups.

Constructive dialogue is taking place between the two countries regarding Russian-Pakistani civil nuclear
cooperation. Similarly, people to people contacts in the shape of cultural exchanges are also necessary
and this may include professionals from various fields as well as exchanges between academics,
students, media persons, parliamentarians and entrepreneurs of both countries. Initiatives such as
cultural contacts, like collaboration between television channels and language classes in both Russia and
Pakistan may also be promoted to build mental understanding and trust.
Since both Russia and Pakistan are on the path to forging stronger ties and to open up new avenues in
the fields of economic, energy and defense cooperation. Pakistan should pursue its new relationship
with Russia vigorously and keep it independent of its relationships with other countries.