The history of bilateral relations. Relationships of Ukraine and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in political and diplomatic spheres. Main results of the bilateral collaboration.
Ukrainian-Pakistani relations began long before official recognition by Pakistan of Ukraine’s independence (on December, 31 in 1991) and establishing diplomatic relations (on March, 16 in 1992). Their history arrives at times of the former USSR, when soviet specialists, most of whom were Ukrainians, helped in 1960-70 to reconstruct key industries of national economy of Pakistan. In particular, during this period of time the metallurgical mill in Karachi was built up. For now, it remains one of the biggest factories in Pakistan.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Ukraine began its activities from October, 1997 in Kyiv. The Embassy of Ukraine in Pakistan functions from January, 1998 in Islamabad.
The bilateral relations between Ukraine and Pakistan can be described as a dynamic process based on traditionally high level of cooperation in political, military-technical, trade and economic, humanitarian spheres as well as on effective collaboration and mutual understanding within the framework of international organizations.
Political dialogue between Ukraine and Pakistan takes place at the level of Presidents (within frameworks of the UN General Assembly in 1993, 1997, 2003), Prime Ministers (World Economic Forum in Davos, 2008), Foreign Ministers (the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan visited Ukraine in 1994, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine met Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Foreign Affairs at the Meeting on Cooperation and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (2016, Beijing). In November 2016, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine paid a maiden visit to Pakistan. On May 18-21, 2021, the Chief of Staff of the Pakistani Army paid an official visit to Ukraine. On August 10, 2021 and February 27, 2022, Foreign Ministers of two states had telephone conversations. On March 29, 2022, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had telephone conversation with Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The recent round of political consultations of Foreign Ministries of two states took place in June 2016 in Kyiv.
February 17, 2023, Foreign Ministers of two states held a meeting.
On February 22, 2023, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had telephone conversation with Arif Alvi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The principle position of Pakistan concerning the resolution of interstate conflicts, which is determined by such principles as respect for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of states as well as resolution of disputes between them exceptionally through peaceful political means, defines the positive neutrality of Pakistan with regard to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
A military-technical collaboration remains one of the main pillars of the Ukrainian-Pakistani relations. The first important contracts between Pakistan and independent Ukraine were concluded in a military-technical sphere in 1996. One of them is the well-known multimillion-dollar tank contract which provided Pakistan with modern tanks, and Ukrainian enterprises with perspective long-term orders.
A collaboration in military and military-technical spheres develops in different directions, especially through the training and internship of officers, technical experts and Pakistani pilots in Ukraine as well as through deliveries and joint developments of highly technological armament and equipment for the naval, air and land forces of Pakistan.
Pakistani military-industrial complex has the intention to continue a collaboration with Ukraine in development of technologies and production of military goods, in particular, in the construction and service of the main battle tank of «Al'-Khalid», which is supplied to the Pakistani army and exported in other Muslim countries.
On the current stage of development of the Ukrainian-Pakistani relations, there is an urgent need to apply the positive experience of bilateral cooperation in military-technical sphere to the civil dimensions of collaboration. For this purpose, the intensification of political and diplomatic dialogue, the expansion of the treaty and legal basis and creation of proper conditions for activation of the businesses on the markets of two countries are of paramount importance.
Lately, the processes of inter-regional and inter-sectoral collaboration are becoming more dynamic, which provide a good basis for direct contacts between the business circles of Ukraine and Pakistan.
With the purpose of intensification of bilateral ties, the Ukrainian-Pakistani Information Center was opened in November, 2009 in Karachi. It is aimed at popularization of possibilities and potential of Ukraine among general public, governmental and business circles of Pakistan
Due to the international authority of Ukraine, Pakistan counts on Ukraine’s support of the initiatives related to the fight against terrorist threats, settlement of situation in Afghanistan, strengthening of measures of trust in South Asia.
During the years of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the high level of the mutual understanding and trust in political and diplomatic sphere has been reached. Along with traditionally active development of bilateral military-technical collaboration and enormous potential of mutually beneficial cooperation in a trade and economic sphere, it provides favorable conditions to promote the further development of bilateral Ukrainian-Pakistani relations.