https://arab.news/8jkh6
- Senior Pakistani official Syed Tariq Fatemi briefs Russia鈥檚 Sergey Lavrov on India standoff during Moscow visit
- The Russian foreign minister expressed satisfaction over growing ties, including cooperation on new steel mills
ISLAMABAD: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday called for normal relations between India and Pakistan and expressed interest in closer counterterrorism cooperation with Islamabad during a meeting with a senior aide of Pakistan鈥檚 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Moscow.
The meeting came as Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to the prime minister, began a visit to Russia weeks after India and Pakistan exchanged missiles, drones and artillery fire, following heightened tensions that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
Pakistan has since call for a 鈥渃omposite dialogue鈥� with India to discuss all outstanding issues, though New Delhi has rejected direct talks after Washington said the two countries had agreed to meet at a neutral venue to defuse tensions.
Both sides have also formed delegations to present their respective positions over the conflict to the international community.
鈥淎t the outset of his visit to the Russian Federation, Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) called on Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, this afternoon,鈥� Pakistan鈥檚 embassy in Moscow said in a statement. 鈥淗e also briefed the Russian Foreign Minister, in detail, about the recent developments in South Asia, conveying Pakistan鈥檚 perspective on the dangers of escalation as well as the dire consequences of India鈥檚 threat to reduce the flow of the Indus Waters Treaty, by holding the Treaty in a so-called 鈥榓beyance.鈥欌€�
鈥淔oreign Minister Lavrov stressed Russia鈥檚 support for promotion of normal relations between the two countries and its positive effect in the region,鈥� the statement added.
Fatemi also delivered a letter from Prime Minister Sharif to President Vladimir Putin and conveyed Pakistan鈥檚 desire to expand cooperation with Russia in areas including energy, trade and connectivity.
Lavrov, for his part, expressed satisfaction over the 鈥渟teadily growing bilateral cooperation鈥� and cited specific initiatives, including new steel mills and connectivity projects.
鈥淗e [Lavrov] also stated that Russia looked forward to working closely with Pakistan, within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), especially in the field of counter-terrorism,鈥� the embassy said.
Russia and Pakistan have strengthened ties in recent years through growing bilateral cooperation, particularly in energy, and by working together on regional platforms such as the SCO, where both are full members.