He expressed hope that the "strong tradition of diplomacy" of Russia would help achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan considered Russia an important player in West, South and Central Asia and that the country would keep up high-level contact with the Russian Federation.
He thanked Lavrov for inviting him to visit Russia and reiterated Islamabad's commitment to deepening relations with Moscow.
Apprising the media of their meeting, FM Bilawal said that their “friendly” and “detailed” discussion encompassed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional matters.
He said that both countries were celebrating the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and that Pakistan desired to strengthen its cooperation with Russia in the fields of trade, security, defence, counter-terrorism, education and people-to-people contacts.
He mentioned the summit-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand as well as the 8th Inter-Government Commission held in Islamabad which focused on trade, economy and energy cooperation.
Also read: FM Bilawal to meet Russian counterpart Lavrov today
He said during their meeting, they also discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora including the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Foreign Minister Bilawal told the media that Pakistan and Russia had “good cooperation” on Afghanistan and wanted to achieve common goals of peace and stability in the war-torn country.
To a question on Pakistan-Russia energy cooperation, the foreign minister said the incumbent government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs.
He said that Pakistan valued its cooperation with Russia, the United States, and Europe and that the country consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
In his remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was satisfied with its military cooperation with Pakistan and that both countries were holding regular military contacts including joint exercises and military training.
He said that the elimination of terrorism from the region was directly linked to Afghanistan, adding that they had agreed to use the capacities of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), particularly its contact group on Afghanistan for the purpose.
Lavrov condemns Peshawar mosque attack
Condemning the terrorist attack in Peshawar mosque today, Sergei Lavrov stressed that fight against terrorism should be more active all over the world without any double standards.
He said that during the meeting they discussed building humanitarian, cultural and educational links.
Lavrov said that both countries have convergence of views on many regional and international issues.
Earlier on his arrival at Moscow airport, the minister was received by senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan and officials of the embassy.
FM Bilawal is on a two-day visit to Russia at the invitation of FM Lavrov. The visit is seen as significant given the fact that former prime minister Imran Khan cited his push to deepen ties with Moscow as one of the reasons behind his ouster through an alleged US conspiracy.
Pakistan, beset with an economic crisis, is exploring options to import oil and gas from Russia at discounted rates. The two sides during the recent visit of the Russian energy minister reached an agreement to complete all the formalities by March before Pakistan started importing Russian oil.
No comments:
Post a Comment