Pakistan denied bilateral meeting by Russia in Beijing; 'not on Putin's schedule'

Putting an end to speculations, Russia on Sunday confirmed that it will not hold any bilateral meetings with Pakistan on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Over the last few weeks, there had been heated debate over whether Russia would meet Pakistan in the Chinese capital, a move that could rile up Indian sentiments. President Vladimir Putin, who will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on February 4, is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Pakistan hoped to enter the frays of the high-level talks with the help of its all-weather friend and hold a similar bilateral meeting with Russia. 

When asked if Moscow was receiving requests for meetings on the sidelines of the ceremony, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed Russia’s state-run news agency TASS, that Putin does not plan to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders who will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

"We have repeatedly said that the ceremony’s organizers have to impose a number of severe restrictions both on athletes and guests, including officials," Peskov noted. "So the Russian president’s schedule for the Beijing trip does not include any bilateral meetings for obvious reasons," he emphasized.

Pakistan hoping for meeting with Russia for last 2 years

Earlier this month, reports had suggested that Islamabad and Moscow are in talks to finalize the plan for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s maiden visit to Pakistan this year. Notably, Russia on multiple occasions has emphasized that India should not be worried about its relationship with Pakistan. In 2020, Deputy Chief of the Russian mission Roman Babushkin had said that Russia's ties with Islamabad are "independent" in nature and that his government is mindful of respecting the sensitivities of other countries. He also noted that Moscow is committed to developing ties with Islamabad as it is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 

Meanwhile, Putin's visit to Beijing also comes amid its escalating border conflict with Ukraine. A senior official from the United States has predicted that Winter Olympics 2022 next week could impact Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calculations over a possible invasion of Ukraine. The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 will start on February 4 and end on February 20.