ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia on Tuesday held “comprehensive and productive” discussions to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and to deepen understanding of regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The two sides held the fifth round of “Pakistan-Russia Bilateral Political Consultations” here on Tuesday.
Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko led their respective sides.
Pakistan, Russia to hold political consultations
Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Zamir Kabulov was also part of the Russian delegation.
“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 Foreign Office said in a statement at the conclusion of the consultations.
It added that the talks encompassed a wide range of topics including political, economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people contacts.
“The two sides reiterated their strong desire to deepen and diversify bilateral relations based on the principles of mutual understanding, trust and cooperation,” read the statement.
They also 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, it added that the delegations reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organised 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,” it further stated.
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 this year,” it further stated.
It was also agreed that the next round of Pakistan-Russia Bilateral Political Consultations would be held in Moscow on mutually-convenient dates.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit from June 20-21 to lead his country in the dialogue who would also be holding high-level meetings in Islamabad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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