Pakistan, Russia eye stronger economic and securit...

Summary

• Russia has expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan, as senior officials from both countries held talks in Islamabad on trade, investment, energy, defence and regional security.
• Earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held talks with his Russian counterpart, during which both countries agreed to move towards finalising an extradition treaty and strengthen cooperation against organised crime.
• The latest round of meetings signals both countries’ interest in extending their partnership beyond energy to include trade, investment, security and institutional cooperation.

AI Generated Summary

Russia has expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan, as senior officials from both countries held talks in Islamabad on trade, investment, energy, defence and regional security.

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday during his four-day visit to Pakistan. The Russian minister highlighted opportunities to strengthen bilateral economic ties and conveyed Moscow’s willingness to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Kolokoltsev also appreciated Pakistan’s support for Russia at international forums, particularly the United Nations. Shehbaz reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to strengthening friendly relations with Moscow and called for greater cooperation in trade, investment, energy and economic development.

The prime minister welcomed the positive momentum in bilateral relations and stressed the need to use existing cooperation mechanisms to achieve mutually beneficial results.