Pak-Russia to upgrade socio-economic, political ties: National Assembly Speaker

On the last leg of his visit to Russian Federation, Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, heading a parliamentary delegation, was warmly received by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Geogry Polthovchenko and Speaker Legislative Assembly, Makarovs Vyacheskav, here on Sunday. During a Round Table, the Speaker National Assembly emphasised the importance of relations between Pakistan and Russia in all fields especially in the fields of economy, culture and education.
"Immense potential of collaboration, we could not realise in sixty five years, must be realised in coming few years by gearing up political will and mobilisation of resources," Sardar Ayaz Sadiq emphasised. The Speaker National Assembly also assured the Russian side that the parliament through its standing committees would do everything possible to facilitate the Russian business concerns by creating linkages with Pakistani business communities through chambers of commerce and industries and public sector institutions and added that the convenor of Pak-Russia friendship group in the parliament, Marvi Memon, MNA, would co-ordinate in these efforts.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also underscored the need to speed up the process of declaring St. Petersburg and Karachi as sister cities and proposed to hold Russian specific exhibitions in major cities of Pakistan to popularise Russian products in Pakistan to promote business relations at the grass-roots level.
The Governor, Geogry Polthovchenko expressed the firm desire of Russian side to promote and further strengthen the bilateral relations in all fields and invited Pak students to St. Petersburg to study in the fields of Pharmaceutical industries, health, humanitarian aid and others.
Among others, the Round Table was attended by MNAs Mian Abdul Manan, Chairman All Pakistan Traders Association, Ms Marvi Memon, Chairperson Standing Committee on Information and convenor Russian Friendship Group, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Chairman Standing Committee on Port and Shipping, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Sheikh Salahuddin, MNAs, Karamat Niazi (Secretary National Assembly), and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Pakistan, Moscow.