An international gathering in Turkmenistan, commemorating 30 years of its UN-endorsed permanent neutrality, witnessed an unusual diplomatic occurrence involving Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. An anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was subject to a considerable delay.
Sources indicate that Prime Minister Sharif and his Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, waited for nearly an hour in an adjoining area. Subsequently, Sharif unexpectedly entered a closed-door bilateral meeting between President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A video capturing this moment has circulated widely.
Sharif’s objective was reportedly to connect with President Putin, even for a short duration. His ingress into the ongoing talks between the Russian and Turkish leaders, though brief at roughly ten minutes, has been a focal point of discussion.
The visual evidence of Sharif’s extended wait, including him sitting near an empty chair marked with the Russian flag, highlighted the prolonged delay and growing impatience of the Pakistani delegation. Online reactions ranged from amusement to criticism of the diplomatic etiquette.
The forum itself centered on Turkmenistan’s unique position as a permanently neutral state, a policy formalized by the UN General Assembly in 1995. This neutrality entails non-alignment with military blocs and a commitment to peaceful conflict resolution.
Sharif’s unplanned participation in the Putin-Erdoğan discussion, though brief, generated significant attention and commentary on social media. The broader discussions regarding Turkmenistan’s neutral status continued as planned throughout the event.
