Pakistan, Russia Boost Security Ties During Interior Chief’s Visit

(MENAFN) Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev held talks Wednesday on the regional security landscape and on deepening security cooperation between Islamabad and Moscow, according to an official statement.

Kolokoltsev, who is on a four-day official visit to Pakistan, met Munir at army headquarters in Rawalpindi, a garrison city in the country’s northeast, the military said.

The two men focused on matters of shared interest and the regional security environment, with particular attention to strengthening security cooperation. Both sides stressed the need for closer institutional links and better coordination between their countries’ security institutions.

Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to deepen its longstanding ties with Russia and to broaden concrete cooperation in areas of common interest, especially security. Kolokoltsev praised Pakistan’s contributions to regional peace and stability and recognized the professionalism and sacrifices of its armed forces in the fight against terrorism.

The Russian minister also made a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a separate statement.

Sharif reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening friendly relations with the Russian Federation and to making effective use of existing bilateral mechanisms to advance mutually beneficial cooperation. He stressed the need to expand collaboration in areas of shared interest, notably trade and investment, energy and economic development.

Sharif also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation in combating organized crime between the two countries.

Kolokoltsev thanked Pakistan for its support at multilateral forums, particularly the UN, and pointed to significant potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Russia.

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