Ukraine war impacting Pakistan, FM tells Russia

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called on Monday for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means, saying that the developing countries like Pakistan were facing consequences in terms of its economic impact.

Addressing a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during his visit to Moscow, Bilawal expressed the hope that the strong tradition of Russia diplomacy would help achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“We have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles which diplomacy cannot surmount and Ukraine conflict is no exception,” he said. “Developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences of the conflict in terms of economic impact,” he added.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan considered the Russian Federation an important player in the West, South and Central Asia. “Pakistan desires to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the fields of trade, security, defence, counterterrorism, education, and people-to-people contacts,” he added.

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Apprising the media of their meeting, Bilawal said their “friendly” and “detailed” discussion encompassed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional matters besides the bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

He also said that Pakistan and Russia had “good cooperation” on Afghanistan, and wanted to achieve common goals of peace and stability in the war-torn country. About the energy cooperation, Bilawal said that the Pakistani government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs.

In his remarks, Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia was satisfied with its military cooperation with Pakistan. Both the countries, he added, were holding regular military contacts, including joint exercises and military training.

Lavrov emphasised that the elimination of terrorism from the region was directly linked with Afghanistan, he said that in his talks with Foreign Minister Bilawal, both sides agreed to use the capacities of SCO, particularly its Contact Group on Afghanistan for the purpose.

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Lavrov condemned the terrorist attack in the Peshawar mosque earlier in the day, and called for global cooperation for the elimination of terrorism. He said during the meeting they discussed building humanitarian, cultural, and educational links.