Ashgabat, Dec 12 (IANS) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was heavily trolled on Friday after videos of him ‘gatecrashing’ a meeting between Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, went viral on social media.

According to Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, Putin and Erdogan continued holding talks in a private setting after members of the two countries’ delegations left.

“A little later, the Pakistani Prime Minister joined the meeting , having expected to negotiate with Putin in another room,” the report mentioned.

Videos circulating on social media showed Sharif getting highly impatient while waiting for Putin on the sidelines of an international forum being held in Ashgabat on the International Year of Peace and Trust, International Neutrality Day, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.

Reports cited that the Pakistani PM waited for Putin for more than 40 minutes along with his delegation that also included Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before deciding to gatecrash the Russian President’s meeting with his Turkish counterpart going on in another room of the Congress Centre in the capital of Turkmenistan.

“PM Sharif waited for over 40 minutes for President Putin before growing tired and gate-crashing Russian leader’s meeting with Erdogan. He left ten minutes later,” RT India posted on X along with a video showing an impatient Sharif and the rest of the Pakistani delegation waiting anxiously for the Russian President.

Last week, the Russian President concluded a highly successful State Visit to India during which both countries further strengthened the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

Putin had thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the warm and cordial welcome extended to the visiting delegation, asserting that he has established a “close working and personal contact” with the Indian PM and together they “constantly monitor” the development of Russian-Indian cooperation in all its strategic areas.

–IANS

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