Pakistan, Russia discuss international security at 16th Strategic Stability Talks in Moscow

Pakistani and Russian officials discussed international security and global stability at high-level talks in Moscow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) said on Tuesday.

In a statement today, FO said that Spokesperson and Additional Secretary Tahir Andrabi and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister “discussed topical issues related to international security and global stability a day ago” while chairing the 16th meeting of the Russian-Pakistani Consultative Group on Strategic Stability in Moscow.

He said the two sides had a “confident and detailed exchange of views” with discussions on issues related to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

“The meeting confirmed the affinity of approaches of Russia and Pakistan on most of the issues discussed. The parties confirmed their intention to continue this cooperation and coordination in relevant international forums,” FO said, adding that it was agreed to hold the 17th meeting of the consultative group next year in Islamabad.

The development comes as coordination between Pakistan and Russia continues on different fronts. Last week, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said Pakistan planned to increase its oil imports from Russia due to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, as “Islamabad is looking for alternatives.”

Read: Government eyes fuel from Russia and Nigeria

The envoy said demand for Russian energy resources had increased due to the crisis around the strategic waterway. “We produce about 10% of the energy resources we need ourselves, while the rest is imported, mainly from the Persian Gulf countries. A serious crisis has arisen and that is why we started looking for alternatives,” he said.

Tirmizi said: “We are also looking at building a pipeline from Central Asia to Russia at some point. This could mean connecting the Eurasian space through roads, railways, pipelines, humanitarian contacts and academic links,” he said, adding: “This is what we are really striving for now. »

Last month, Russia had also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussing “cooperation in multilateral forums for international peace and security.”

Learn more: Pakistan accesses Russian seafood market

In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin also affirmed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. This followed a suicide attack on an Imambargah in Islamabad that claimed the lives of at least 31 people and injured dozens more.

In January, Putin hailed growing relations between Moscow and Pakistan as “mutually beneficial,” with cooperation extending across all sectors.

The Russian Embassy in Pakistan quoted Putin as saying: “We continue close cooperation with Pakistan. Pakistan is a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is the largest regional organization in the region in terms of economic, technical and human resources. Russian-Pakistani relations are mutually beneficial in the true sense of the word.”