Feb 22, 2022: According to a report by Reuters, Prime Minister Imran Khan on an interview to Russian TV said he would like to have a televised discussion with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to resolve differences between the two neighbors.

The two Nuclear-armed rivals have antagonistic relations since gaining independence 75 years ago, after fighting three wars, with ties strained recently after New Delhi abrogated the semi-autonomous status of IIOJK in 2019.

“I would love to have a TV debate with Narendra Modi,” Imran told Russia Today, adding that if differences could be resolved through dialogue, it would benefit a billion people in the subcontinent.

“India became a hostile country so trade with them became minimal,” the premier said, stressing his government’s policy was to have trade relations with all countries.

PM Imran said Pakistan’s regional trade options were already limited, including Iran, its southwestern neighbor, under U.S sanctions, and Afghanistan in the West, which has been embroiled in decades of war. Pakistan has strong economic ties with its northern neighbor China, which has pledged billions of dollars for infrastructure and other projects under its Belt and Road Initiative.

The prime minister’s interview came ahead of a visit to Moscow, where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin, the first visit to Russia by a Pakistani leader in two decades. The two-day visit to discuss economic co-operation was planned ahead of the current crisis in Ukraine.

Responding to the Ukraine situation he said, “This doesn’t concern us, we have a bilateral relation with Russia and we really want to strength it.”

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