Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Prime Minister, I am very pleased to meet you, to discuss the current state of affairs in Russian-Pakistani relations. I must say that in recent years these relations have become much stronger and multifaceted, and this makes us happy. But holding such a summit as the ASEM summit provides another opportunity to talk about economic issues and co-operation between our two countries as well as some international issues, so I propose that we do this. And once again I would like to say that I personally welcome the opportunity to meet with you and talk.

Raja Pervez Ashraf (via interpreter): Thank you, Mr Prime Minister for your remarks. I absolutely agree with you: I'm also glad we’re meeting. We in Pakistan appreciate Russia as a source of stability in our region. Russia plays an important role and should be actively involved in such venues as the ASEM. I think Russia is a unique country – it is the link between the European and Asian continents. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of your country. You pointed out correctly that our bilateral relations are improving, and we have a consensus on many international and regional issues. We look forward to President Putin’s visit. I know that it was rescheduled due to unavoidable circumstances, and we understand that.

Russia's foreign minister recently visited Pakistan. The visit was very successful and left the best impression. I think that relations between Pakistan and Russia are improving both bilaterally and in terms of the international agenda. Regional cooperation is particularly important, and Pakistan has the same issues as the entire international community. We seek peace and stability, and I am confident that our co-operation will be a key to our success.

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