Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability
Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability: Foreign Office, after the 12th meeting of Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability, stated that both sides have agreed to explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation to enhance the existing constructive ties between the two states.
They further agreed on the need to capitalize the productive trajectory of bilateral relations and explore new avenues for a mutual beneficial bilateral cooperation.
The Consultative meeting took place in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Tasnim Aslam, Special Secretary (United Nations & Economic Coordination) represented Pakistan, while the Russian delegation was led by Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.
This platform since 2003 is providing a structured dialogue between the two countries where the two sides have an in-depth exchange of views on the regional and global developments, including with respect to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
The two sides have taken great steps since 2007, when the ties were renewed after a long separation during the cold war.
Relations between Moscow and Islamabad have been improving for years now. In 2014, both the countries signed a defence cooperation accord and in 2015 they inked a technical cooperation accord aimed at providing arms supplies and cooperation in weapon development. The two sides agreed to form a military commission to enhance their defence cooperation. Moscow is not obstructive to Pakistan’s candidature in its bid for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Russia has particularly been interested in cooperation in the energy sector and has been pressing Islamabad to implement the agreements committed in the inter-governmental commission. The Foreign Office (FO) maintained that the two sides have commonality of approach and convergence on a range of modern issues. They announced that in the meeting both sides shared great deal of satisfaction over their increasing coordination, consultation and cooperation at various international forums.