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Pakistani and Russian Foreign Ministers to meet more often

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia concluded the two-day session of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability on Tuesday with a commitment to increase bilateral cooperation and enhance interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

“The two sides discussed a wide range of issues including terrorism, non-proliferation as well as bilateral cooperation in various areas,” an official statement said.

Tariq Usman Haider, additional foreign secretary, led the Pakistani side while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislyak led the Russian side at the talks.

“The two sides expressed satisfaction over the positive development of their bilateral cooperation in various areas,” the statement said. The next meeting of the group will be held in Moscow in mid-2005. The date of the meeting will be decided through diplomatic channels. Kislyak also called on Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and the minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Khusro Bakhtiar, on Tuesday.

In their meeting, Kislyak and Bakhtiar discussed noted that the bilateral relationship between the two countries had improved since the visit of President Pervez Musharraf to Moscow in 2003.

The minister of state hoped the ongoing Pakistan-India dialogue would lead to a resolution of all outstanding disputes including the one over Kashmir, the statement said.Bakhtiar appreciated the mediator role played by Russian President Putin during the military standoff between Pakistan and India in 2002 and emphasised the need for greater cooperation between Islamabad and Moscow in various fields. Kislyak appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in South Asia and welcomed the dialogue between Pakistan and India, the statement said.

Online adds: During the meeting of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability, Pakistan and Russia agreed to make a joint strategy to combat terrorism, including sharing intelligence, sources said.

FO sources said that in the past, Pakistan and Russia had exchanged terrorism-related information that helped the two countries combat terrorism on their soil. Also, the two countries would work together to check human trafficking and smuggling. Ways to boost defence relations also came under discussion. However, Pakistan opposed the Russian policy of pre-emptive strikes and said this could harm their anti-terror campaign.

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