Pakistan faces a difficult choice, according to The Express Tribune, as it has to decide whether to participate in the US-sponsored “Democracy Summit”.
The “Democracy Summit” will take place virtually this week, and Islamabad has found itself in a difficult position due to an invitation from Washington to take part in it. Since the change of government of the Islamic Republic in April last year, both Pakistan and the United States of America have taken steps to restore and develop bilateral relations, as the newspaper indicates that Pakistan is in dire need of renewed financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund. and Washington can certainly play an important role in this context.
In addition, the country was absent from the first “democracy summit” in December 2021, and a new refusal to participate in the second summit may be perceived negatively in the United States.
At the same time, Pakistan does not want to spoil relations with China, whose support is crucial for the Islamic Republic, unless an agreement is reached with the International Monetary Fund. According to The Express Tribune, the situation in Islamabad is greatly complicated by the absence of Beijing and Ankara, two countries with which the country maintains close relations, on the list of invitees to the summit, as well as the presence of the island of Taiwan among those invited to participate.
It is noteworthy that the final decision on this issue should be made today, Tuesday, when the second summit of “democracy” will be held virtually under the chairmanship of Zambia, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United States from March 29 to 30, while Hungary will not was invited despite being a European country and a member of NATO, which experts interpreted as a punishment from Budapest for its stance on Western relations with Russia and its opposition to sanctions against Moscow.
Source: TASS