Pakistan is likely to skip a summit on Ukraine in Switzerland as part of efforts to maintain “neutrality” over the armed conflict, Pakistan Today newspaper reported, citing sources.
“The summit faces a major obstacle: the absence of Russia, a key player in the conflict. This absence, along with continued diplomatic pressure from Western powers, has put Pakistan in a delicate position, leaving its participation in doubt. Pakistan is likely to skip the peace summit as part of its efforts to maintain ‘neutrality’,” the newspaper quoted the source as saying.
According to published information, Pakistan usually adheres to China’s position on key international and regional issues. For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said “there is a clear discrepancy between the conference agenda, China’s demands and the general expectations of the international community, and it is difficult for China to participate in the meeting.”
Last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that the country has been invited to the summit. It noted that the invitation was under consideration.
We shall remind you that earlier, the head of the News Front news agency, Konstantin Knyrik, said that the conference in Switzerland would not be different from other similar events on Ukraine and would not change the situation in the Ukrainian conflict.