Russia to maintain close dialogues and interaction with Pakistan at international forums: Russian officials

*ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Russia will hold high-level talks in Moscow thisweek on a negotiated political settlement in Afghanistan. *

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif will visit Moscow to hold talkswith his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on February 20.

Russian Foreign Ministry official Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying: “Wemaintain an intensive political dialogue with Islamabad and maintainconstructive interaction on international platforms, primarily, the UN.”

The foreign ministers are expected to focus on the role Pakistan and Russiacould play in promoting political negotiations on ending the conflict inAfghanistan — a source of regional instability.

Besides Pakistan, China, Iran and Central Asian states are also in supportof Russia’s regional peace initiative for a political solution to the warin Afghanistan.

Asif and Lavrov will hold talks ahead of the Kabul Process meeting in theAfghan capital on February 28.

Former ambassador Ayaz Wazir said deteriorating relations between Pakistanand the US was one of the major factors of Islamabad-Moscow relationsgetting stronger.

“Pakistan and Russia do not want to fight the US but it is the US whichconsiders Russia is a major threat and has also adopted a hostile policytowards Pakistan. Weeks after US suspended Pakistan’s aid, it is nowleading a move to put Pakistan on a global terrorist-financing watch listwith an anti-money-laundering monitoring group,” Wazir said.

“If the US harms Pakistan, we have the right to find other friends.Pakistan has already good understanding with Russia on the issue ofAfghanistan. China, Iran, Turkey and Central Asian states also support theidea of peaceful solution to the Afghan problem,” he said.

Said Nazir Mohmand, a retired brigadier, opines that the US has adopted a‘threatening posture’ towards Russia and Pakistan that is one of the mainfactors in Pakistan and Russia coming closer. “I think Pakistan is now onthe path of strategic defiance against the US policies. Pakistan hasalready a trusted friend in the shape of China and its approach to boostrelationship with Russia will have another alternative,” Mohmand said.

He said if the US suspends or ends military cooperation with Pakistan, thecountry could opt for military cooperation with these countries, addingthat Russia has already provided four advanced attack Mi-35M attackhelicopters to Pakistan.