Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was on Friday left red-faced after he was made to wait for 40 minutes to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a video shared on social media, the Pakistan PM was seen waiting with his Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and then was seen gate-crashing Putin's meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the next room, where he just stood in front of the two leaders.
Sharif waited for 40 minutes to meet Putin
The incident was reported at an international forum in Turkmenistan commemorating the 30th anniversary of the country's permanent neutrality. During the occasion, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event. However, the encounter took an unexpected turn when Putin did not turn up for the meeting with Sharif.
As per a video shared by RT India,after waiting in another room with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for 40 minutes, impatient Sharif decided to enter the venue where Putin was holding talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in hopes of securing at least a quick interaction. However, he is said to have departed roughly 10 minutes later.
Here's what social media users said
The moment, which was caught on camera, has drawn sharp criticism online, with social media users framing it as a diplomatic misstep. One user on X wrote, "Putin does not want to waste his time on beggars," while another said, "Even Trump did the same with these beggars."
Know about International Forum for Peace and Trust
It should be noted that the International Forum for Peace and Trust program is being organised in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Leaders from many countries including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif have participated in this meeting.
Erdoğan and Putin hold extensive talks on war in Ukraine
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held extensive talks on the war in Ukraine at a meeting in Turkmenistan.
Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said Erdoğan and Putin signaled steady relations between Moscow and Ankara, agreeing there were “no major problems” in their ties and that their cooperation continued “to develop very well in all areas” despite some outstanding issues.
Peskov said both leaders stressed that the “multifaceted and diversified” structure of Russia-Türkiye ties, particularly in trade and economic cooperation, helps the two countries withstand what he described as pressure from “third parties.”
