Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Monday praised the Russian leader for his 'emphatic' statement against the insulting Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

Last month, the Russian president had said that insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) does not count as an expression of artistic freedom but is a "violation of religious freedom".

Addressing an annual news conference, he had said insults to the prophet (PBUH) are a violation of religious freedom and sacred feelings of people, who profess Islam.

PM Imran and the top leadership of the country had also welcomed the Russian president's statement in December. The premier had stressed that leaders should leaders of the Muslim countries to spread this message to heads of non-Muslim nations to counter Islamophobia.

In a tweet on Monday, PM Imran said that he spoke to Russian President Putin to express his appreciation for his "emphatic statement" that freedom of speech could not be a pretext to abuse our Prophet PBUH.

The two leaders also talked about bilateral relations and invited each other to visit their countries.

Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, the Prime Minister Office said that the two leaders "fondly recalled their conversations" during last year and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The premier also underscored the importance of release of Afghanistan’s financial assets for addressing the dire needs of the Afghan people.