Prime Minister Imran Khan will pay a two-day official visit to Russia from Wednesday at the special invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of the Cabinet.

Pakistan and Russia enjoy friendly relations marked by mutual respect, trust and convergence of views on a range of international and regional issues.

During the Summit meeting, the two leaders will review the entire array of bilateral relations including energy cooperation.

They will also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues, including Islamophobia and situation in Afghanistan.

The visit of the Prime Minister will contribute to further deepening of the multifaceted Pakistan-Russia bilateral relationship and enhancement of mutual cooperation in diverse fields.

In recent years, however, relations between the United States and Pakistan have deteriorated and there has been a thawing between Moscow and Islamabad, which has seen the planning of projects in the gas and energy fields.

In an interview published on Monday, Khan played down the timing of the visit, and any effect it would have on Pakistan's relations with the West.

"This visit was planned well before the emergence of the current phase of Ukrainian crisis ... I received the invitation from President Putin much earlier," he told Newsweek Pakistan.