MOSCOW - Pakistan Army contigent has reached Russia for the second phase of the bilateral military exercise with their Russian counterpart despite the strict objections from India towards Russia.
India had conveyed reservations to the Russian Authorities regarding the military exercises however the same was rejected by the Russian government.
India has been resisting the emerging Pakistan Russia ties especially in the military and defence fields.
Pakistan and Russia have earlier conducted such exercise on Pakistani soil.
On the same day Pakistan and Russian Foreign Ministers met in New York and decided to strengthen the bilateral ties.
During the meeting, they discussed mutual efforts for strengthening of bilateral relations and the prevailing international and regional security situation.
Khawaja Asif expressed Pakistan’s desire for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia in diverse fields. He emphasized the need for promoting trade and economic cooperation.
Lavrov suggested that the forthcoming Intergovernmental Commission should explore concrete measures for enhancing trade, investment and energy connectivity between Russia and Pakistan.
The two leaders also had in-depth discussion on the efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Pakistan considers SAARC an important platform for organizing a collective response to regional challenges.
Speaking at the informal meeting of the SAARC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York, he said this is particularly important for region’s development needs.
The meeting was hosted and chaired by the Foreign Minister of Nepal.