Islamabad, Pakistan: “Reports appearing in media about Prime Minister’s participation in Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia are speculative. Pakistan and Russia remain in contact about engagement at the highest level. Any announcement in this regard would be made formally at appropriate time”.
This was clarified by Spokesman of Foreign Office of Pakistan Dr Faisal in his tweet today.
Reports appearing in media about Prime Minister’s participation in Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia are speculative. Pakistan and Russia remain in contact about engagement at the highest level. Any announcement in this regard would be made formally at appropriate time.
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) July 9, 2019
It is pertinent to mention that on July 8, 2019 Russian Foreign Office said that name of PM Imran Khan is yet to be on the list of foreign guests while President of Mongolia H. Battulga, the Prime Minister of India N.Modi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia M. Mohammad and the Prime Minister of Japan S. Abe have been invited.
The Russian FO statement released in Russian issued on July 8 said as:
We drew attention to publications in a number of South Asian media that the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan was invited to the events of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-5) in Vladivostok (September 4-6, this year) as an honored guest. We would like to give some explanations in this regard.
Preparations for WEF-5, which over the past few years have turned into a unique dialogue platform, providing an opportunity to discuss topical issues of regional economic integration in a wide range, are in full swing. We expect that the President of Mongolia H. Battulga, the Prime Minister of India N.Modi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia M. Mohammad and the Prime Minister of Japan S. Abe will arrive.
There were news items in Pakistani media this week that Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake an official tour to Russia wherein he will attend the Meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), an international forum held in September every year since 2015 in the Russian City of Vladivostok.
First report was released by a private television channel and was picked by media on July 6, 2019 claiming that Foreign Office sources indicates that Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake an official tour to Russia and will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in sideline meeting during Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), an international forum held in September every year since 2015 in the Russian City of Vladivostok.
Pakistan Foreign Office took three days to contradict such reports and today on July 9, 2019, Spokesman of Foreign Office of Pakistan Dr Faisal tweeted that peports appearing in media about Prime Minister’s participation in Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia are speculative. Pakistan and Russia remain in contact about engagement at the highest level. Any announcement in this regard would be made formally at appropriate time.
It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan is visiting Washington on July 22 for his meeting with US President Trump.
