Pakistan, Russia to deepen, diversify ties

FO says a wide range of topics come under discussion during fifth round of Bilateral Political Consultations

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan and Russia expressed satisfaction with the upward trajectory of bilateral cooperation in various and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release that the two sides held productive discussions to further strengthen bilateral cooperation during the fifth round of the Pakistan-Russia Bilateral Political Consultations in Islamabad.

At the consultative session, Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed and Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, led their respective delegations. Moscow’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov was also part of the Russian delegation.

"The talks encompassed a wide range of topics including political, economic, defence, energy and people-to-people contacts," the press release said, adding that both sides reiterated their desire to diversify the bilateral relations and mutual cooperation.

“The two sides engaged in comprehensive and productive discussions to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and to deepen understanding on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the press release said.

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The Foreign Office added that the two sides expressed satisfaction at the upward trajectory of cooperation in the field of energy and agreed to expand cooperation in higher education, culture and science and technology.

In the realm of security cooperation, according to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the delegations reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organided crime.

The two delegations agreed to enhance cooperation in multilateral forums and exchanged views on regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and South Asia.

Agreeing that the dividends of peace in Afghanistan would be beneficial for the entire region, they reaffirmed support for efforts for sustainable peace, stability and continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

“The consultations provided an opportunity to review the trajectory of Pakistan-Russia relations and to explore new areas of cooperation, particularly in the context of commemorating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-Russia diplomatic relations.”

The next round of Pakistan- Russia Bilateral Political Consultations would be held in Moscow on mutually convenient dates, the press release concluded.