ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who is on an officialvisit to the Russian Federation, on Tuesday held bilateral consultationswith Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
They held in-depth discussion on the entire spectrum of bilateralrelations, important regional and international issues, situation in theMiddle East and cooperation between the two countries in the UN and SCO.
Special Secretary (UN&EC/SCO) Ms. Tasnim Aslam, Ambassador of Pakistan tothe Russian Federation Qazi M. Khalilullah, Additional Secretary (Europe)Zaheer Janjua, Special Representative of the Russian President onAfghanistan Zamir Kabulov and Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry ofForeign Affairs Ms. Maria Zakharova were also present in the meeting.
According to a press release issued by the Foreign Office here, the twoMinisters emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral engagementand diversifying cooperation in various fields.This is evident by the continued high-level interactions between the twocountries, including meetings between the Prime Minister of Pakistan andthe President of the Russian Federation in Ufa in July 2015 and Astana inJune 2017, and Prime Ministers of the two countries in Sochi last November.
The two Foreign Ministers expressed satisfaction at the increasingbilateral cooperation and agreed to further intensify efforts to deepencooperation in all areas of mutual interest, including trade, energy,defense, education, science & technology and people to people contacts.
The two sides agreed to further build on enhancing coordination atmultilateral fora. They underscored that Pakistan’s membership of the SCOhad provided additional opportunities for deepening cooperation between thetwo countries.The Ministers expressed desire to further expand bilateral trade and agreedto work together under the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission onTrade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasized the significance of cooperationin the field of energy, including realization of the North-South gaspipeline project. Russian experts are ready to participate in modernizationof Pakistan’s energy sector.
The ministers discussed the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and itsimplications for the region. They reiterated that there was no militarysolution to the Afghan conflict and a negotiated settlement through anAfghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process was the onlyviable option for lasting peace in Afghanistan. They agreed to closelycoordinate in all Afghanistan-related processes for a regional solution ofthe Afghan conflict.
There was also unanimity of views that unchecked proliferation of Da’esh inAfghanistan, particularly along the borders of neighboring countries, was athreat to peace in the entire region.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif briefed his Russian counterpart on Pakistan’svision of a peaceful neighborhood. He underlined that Pakistan believed inresolution of disputes through peaceful dialogue.The Russian Foreign Minister deeply appreciated Pakistan’s efforts andsacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He conveyed Russia’s continuedsupport for enhancing Pakistan’s counter-terrorism capabilities.
Khawaja Asif underscored that Pakistan was, in principle, opposed tosanctions against any country, including Russia, especially when these werepolitically motivated.
The two Foreign Ministers agreed to continue to consult with each other ona regular basis. – APP