( RIA Novosti ) - Russia's prime minister will travel to Pakistan Wednesday on an official visit expected to produce a series of bilateral agreements, the government press service said.
On Thursday, Mikhail Fradkov is scheduled to meet with his Pakistani counterpart, Shaukat Aziz, to discuss drug trafficking, mutual debt, transportation links and cultural exchanges, the service said.
In particular, an existing protocol on joint anti-narcotics measures will be extended, and a program of cultural, scientific and educational cooperation for 2007-2009 will be concluded.
In addition to the prime minister's meetings with government officials, representatives of Russian companies such as Gazprom, Russian Railways and Kamaz will meet with Pakistani business leaders for a working breakfast.
On Friday, Fradkov will meet with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to discuss bilateral trade.
Russian-Pakistani trade is relatively modest by world standards, with a total turnover in 2006 of $411 million, including $300 million in Russian exports to the South Asian nation consisting mostly of raw materials such as metals, minerals and forestry products, and $111 million in Pakistani imports to Russia, mainly fruit, rice, textiles, leather goods, and medicines.