Pakistan, Russia begin first-ever consultation on regional issues

Two sides discuss key areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation

The first Pakistan-Russia Consultation on regional issues was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

During the consultation, a range of regional issues as well as key areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation and connectivity were discussed, a foreign affairs ministry statement said.

The two sides exchanged views on important global and regional developments. It was also decided that the next round of consultations will be convened in Moscow in 2017.



The Pakistani side was led by Director General (West Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmad Hussain Dayo. Russian delegation was led by Head of the Third CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Alexander V Sternik.

On November 20, a senior Pakistan official said Russia will host first-ever trilateral talks involving Pakistan and China in an effort to crack the Afghan conundrum.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, the initiative was aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large. The gathering is the transformation in relationship taking place among the major international players.



In September, Pakistan and Russia held joint military drills for two weeks. The drill was seen as another step in growing military-to-military cooperation, indicating a steady growth in bilateral relationship between the two countries, whose ties had been marred by Cold War rivalry for decades.

All previous initiatives to seek a political solution to the Afghan conflict have made little or no progress in the past. Pakistan, which is seen as key to the future of Afghanistan, brokered the first-ever direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in July 2015. But the process was scuttled after the confirmation of the death of Taliban Supreme leader Mullah Omar.