• Source:JND
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif experienced a déjà vu moment at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin when he struggled to put on a translator earpiece while meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. In the video, which went crazy viral on social media platforms, Sharif was captured struggling with the earpiece while Putin was patiently waiting to get it fixed.

Later in the video, the Russian leader can be heard saying, "Mr Prime Minister," before gesturing to demonstrate how to wear the headphones. Putin then chuckles at the situation. "Mr Prime Minister," said Putin as Shehbaz Sharif continued to face an earphone struggle.

Do you think Shehbaz Sharif’s earphone mishap was a significant embarrassment for Pakistan?

WATCH: Shehbaz Sharif Translation Headphone Fumble At SCO

Notably, the embarrassing moment wasn’t new for the Pakistani Prime Minister. Earlier in 2022, Sharif found it difficult to put on the earpiece during a bilateral meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, a video captured the device repeatedly slipping off, eliciting a brief, audible chuckle from the Russian president just before the talks began. The footage showed Shehbaz requesting assistance from an aide, but despite the help, the headphones slipped off again.

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During the bilateral meeting, Sharif said on Tuesday that his country respects Russia's relations with India, as he called for strengthening Islamabad's ties with Moscow during his talks with Putin. “Our relations have only improved over the past many years. Thanks to your commitment and interest in many areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties," Sharif told President Putin.

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The prime minister also expressed gratitude to the Russian president for supporting Pakistan, which was viewed as "a balancing act in the region". "I must say that we respect your relations with India. That is perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations (with Russia). And these relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and for the progress and prosperity of the region," Sharif said.

He emphasised that Putin is "a very dynamic leader" and that now Russia and Pakistan "are moving in the right direction," according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
Sharif said that Pakistan was eager to expand ties with Russia in “trade connectivity, energy, agriculture, investment, defence, artificial intelligence, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Russia-Pakistan relation

In recent years, the two countries have engaged in strengthening bilateral ties with each other.
Separately, Sharif also met Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon in Beijing, and both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between their countries in all areas of mutual interest.

(With inputs from agency)