5th round of Pakistan-Russia bilateral political consultations held

Celina Ali

Islamabad: The fifth round of Pakistan-Russia Bilateral Political Consultations was held in Islamabad on 20 June 2023. Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, led their respective sides. 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 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. 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, the delegations reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organized 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 this year. The next round of Pakistan- Russia Bilateral Political Consultations would be held in Moscow on mutually convenient dates.