in resolving stability in Afghanistan and that its presence would be greatly missed in the upcoming Bonn conference. : The Russian foreign minister stated it is unacceptable to violate the sovereignty of a state, even when planning and carrying out counter-insurgent operations. In January 2012, reports emerged that Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar was set to leave for Moscow in the first half of February to formally invite Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to pay a state visit to Pakistan. If Medvedev had accepted the invitation, It would have been the first Russian head of state to visit the country. This move was believed to be part of changes in Pakistan's foreign policy which include efforts to open up relations with other regional powers following strains in relations with the United States. : Thousands of Sri Lankan protesters attended a gathering in a public square in Colombo organised by the Pakistan Sri Lanka Friendship Association and the National Freedom Front (a political party and ally of the ruling coalition government), condemning the NATO's actions and asking the US to "stop terrorizing Pakistan". The attendees included several high-profile Sri Lankan government officials, as well as journalists, government employees, lawyers and members of the civil society. Members of the Sri Lankan Muslim community and the Pakistani community in Sri Lanka were present. During the same gathering, protesters also criticised the United States for pushing an inquiry into the conduct of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the recently ended civil war against Tamil insurgents. : The Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu telephoned Pakistan and called the attack "unprovoked and totally unacceptable". Davutoğlu assured that as a member of NATO, Turkey will ask for an impartial inquiry into the attacks. He further added that the loss of the Pakistani soldiers was "as painful as losing Turkish soldiers". : Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates, arrived in Islamabad on an unannounced visit and requested President Asif Ali Zardari to reconsider and withdraw Pakistan's deadline set for the US to vacate the Shamsi Airbase. President Zardari is said to have rejected the request during the meeting, saying the decision was taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet and was in national interests. The Shamsi Airbase is believed to be under the control of the UAE, which leased it in the 1990s for facilitating