TOKYO, July 3. /TASS/. Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he hoped that relations between Moscow and Islamabad would continue grow stronger, Japan’s NHK broadcaster reported on Monday.

Pakistan-Russia relations are on a positive trajectory and I’m hoping they go from strength to strength," Pakistan’s top diplomat, who is currently on an official visit to Japan, said in an exclusive interview with NHK.

Minister Bhutto Zardari said he strongly believed that strengthening relations with Russia is required against the background of global economic instability.

Commenting on the supplies of Russian crude to Pakistan, the diplomat said the deliveries were necessary to meet the energy needs of people in his country.

"I don’t think our goal is to shift our imports from anyone to anyone else. Our goal is to meet energy needs of our people," NHK quoted him as saying.

Foreign minister of Pakistan is paying an official visit to Japan and, on Monday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is scheduled to hold meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

In January, the governments of Russia and Pakistan reached a conceptual agreement on Russian oil supplies and agreed to coordinate logistics, insurance, and payment issues before they begin. Pakistan anticipates that imports of Russian oil will satisfy up to 35% of its demand.