Pakistan Ambassador to Russia Mustafa Kamal Qazi has said a Russian delegation would visit Pakistan soon to look into chances of its participation in Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. In an interview with Radio Moscow, he said there were tremendous economic opportunities for Russia and Pakistan to gain from each other.
He hoped bilateral economic co-operation between the two countries would increase in future. There are other projects of gas pipeline in the region including Qatar-India via Pakistan, Turkmenistan-Pakistan-India via Afghanistan, he said adding the Russians would take interest in all those projects.
Replying to a question about Pakistan's participation in Shanghai Organisation for Co-operation as an observer, he said it was of greater significance as the organisation ensured peace and stability in the region.
He said it was Russia, which first of all congratulated Pakistan on becoming an independent state in 1947 and developed diplomatic ties with it. Qazi said friendly relations with Russia were of great importance for Pakistan adding both the countries share identical views on many international issues.
Explaining he said both countries voted against military action in Iraq at the UN while they wanted peace in Central Asia and a peaceful solution of the Middle East problem.
He said the base for better Pak-Russia relations was laid when President General Pervez Musharraf visited Russia in 2003.