During a visit to Islamabad, the Russian deputy prime minister expressed support for Pakistan’s application to become a member of the BRICS bloc, an alliance aimed at amplifying the voices of major emerging economies. The BRICS alliance was founded in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, later joined by South Africa in 2010. In recent times, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates have also become members.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stated during a news conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that Russia would be supportive of Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS. They discussed ways to enhance economic ties and bilateral trade, which reached $1 billion last year.

Additionally, Overchuk met with Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, to further strengthen their relations. Pakistan has been actively working to improve commercial ties with Russia in recent years.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan visited Moscow in February 2022 to meet with President Vladimir Putin amidst looming tensions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Pakistan has refrained from openly condemning the invasion, it has expressed a preference for resolving the conflict through peaceful negotiations.