ISLAMABAD – Russian deputy foreign Minister for Russian Federation SergeyRyabkov has arrived in Pakistan for strategic talks.

Pakistan and Russia have agreed agreed on the need to further capitalize onthe positive trajectory of the overall bilateral relations by exploringavenues for mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, a foreign officestatement issued here Friday said.

The 12th Meeting of Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on StrategicStability was held here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Pakistan side was led by Ambassador Tasnim Aslam, Special Secretary (UnitedNations & Economic Coordination), while the Russian delegation was led bySergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the regional and globaldevelopments, including with respect to arms control, disarmament andnon-proliferation.

In the backdrop of a fast-evolving strategic landscape, the talks weremarked by a commonality of approach and convergence on a range ofcontemporary issues.

The two sides expressed high degree of satisfaction over their closecoordination, cooperation and consultations at various international fora.

Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability is a platform forstructured dialogue between the two sides and has been meeting since 2003.