Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During the meeting, Sharif conveyed that Pakistan respects Russia's relations with India and expressed his country's desire to strengthen its own ties with Moscow.

Sharif stated that Pakistan seeks to build "very strong relations" with Russia, which would be "supplementary and complementary to the progress and prosperity of the region". He also lauded Putin as a "very dynamic leader" and expressed his willingness to work closely with him.

Both leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral relations across various sectors, including trade, energy, and regional connectivity. Sharif specifically mentioned the enhanced delegation visits and the signing of new protocols in key sectors such as agriculture, iron, steel, energy, and transport, following their previous meeting at the SCO summit. He also highlighted the significance of a proposed trade corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, emphasizing its potential to boost regional prosperity.

Putin acknowledged Pakistan as a "traditional partner" for Russia in Asia and conveyed his condolences for the lives lost in recent natural disasters in Pakistan. He also expressed optimism that Pakistan would overcome its challenges.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the improved relations between the two countries in recent years. Sharif credited Putin's personal commitment and interest for this positive trajectory. He also expressed gratitude to the Russian President for supporting Pakistan, which he viewed as "a balancing act in the region".

In July 2025, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk called Islamabad and Moscow "natural allies". Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had also reaffirmed Russia's desire to expand cooperation with Pakistan in a meeting with PM's aide Syed Tariq Fatemi on June 3, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last September on multi-sector collaboration.

Pakistan began importing discounted Russian crude oil in 2023, which significantly boosted bilateral trade volumes. Sharif voiced confidence that commercial links would continue to expand and that both countries would work together to promote bilateral ties and cooperation, particularly in commerce and trade.

Putin invited Sharif to attend the SCO heads summit in Russia this November, which Sharif accepted.

Prior to his meeting with Putin, Sharif met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and reaffirmed their commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). They agreed to advance its next phase through five new corridors aimed at expanding cooperation in key economic sectors and reiterated that the Pakistan-China partnership was unique and unparalleled.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 25th SCO Heads of State Council Summit on Monday, emphasizing that terrorism poses a threat to all of humanity and that "double standards" in dealing with terrorism would not be tolerated. He referred to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and expressed gratitude to partner nations that have supported India in its fight against terrorism.