PHOTO: ITAR-TASS/TINA SHAPOSHNIKOVA
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed this week that Pakistan is Russia's closest partner, adding that the two countries’ ties are "evolving not only militarily but in other sectors, including energy."
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With strained relations between Pakistan and India, it may not come as a surprise that the military expansion between Moscow and Islamabad could irk India.
However, Ryabkov told journalists that "I do not think that the contracts under discussion will cause jealousy on the part of any of the two sides."
Read: Pakistan to offer JF-17 jets to Bulgaria
Last month, a source in the Russian system of military and technical cooperation revealed that a draft contract has been delivered from Russia to Pakistan for the dispatch of four Mil Mi-35M (NATO reporting name: Hind E) combat helicopters, according to a report published on TASS.
Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said that talks pertaining to the delivery of helicopters were under way with the Pakistani side. However, declined to disclose the details of these consultations.
Read: Russia ready to sell four Mi-35M combat helicopters to Pakistan: report
Just last year, Russia’s Rostec hi-tech corporation CEO Sergey Chemezov announced that Russia had lifted its embargo on the delivery of armaments and military hardware to Pakistan and was holding negotiations on the delivery of helicopters to the country.
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