Bilawal says Pakistan intends to intensify cooperation with Russia in diverse areas
MOSCOW
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov has said that Moscow will cooperate with Pakistan to meet its energy requirements.
Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Moscow, the Russian foreign minister said Russia will continue its cooperation with Pakistan in various fields.
“Pakistan and Russia have a common position on various forums and we will move ahead for further development,” Russian Foreign Minister added.
Lavrov said Russia was satisfied over its military cooperation with Pakistan and that both countries were holding regular military contacts including joint exercises and military training.
He said the elimination of terrorism from the region was directly linked with Afghanistan they had agreed to use the capacities of SCO, particularly its contact group on Afghanistan for the purpose.
The Russian foreign minister condemned the terrorist attack in Peshawar mosque earlier on the day, and called for global cooperation for the elimination of terrorism. He said during the meeting they discussed building humanitarian, cultural and educational links.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto called for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means saying that developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences of the conflict in terms of economic impact.
“We have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles which diplomacy cannot surmount. Ukraine conflict is no exception,” the foreign minister added. He hoped that the “strong tradition of diplomacy of Russia would help achieve the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister said Pakistan views Russia as an important player in West-South and Central Asia. He said Pakistan and Russia have good cooperation on Afghanistan and we aim to continue cooperation with Russia in realizing common goals of peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said we discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora and have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles, that diplomacy cannot surmount and the Ukrainian conflict is no exception.
He said developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences in terms of the economic impact of this conflict. He expressed confidence that the strong tradition of diplomacy of the Russian state will help achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
He thanked Sergey Lavrov for inviting him to visit Russia and reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to deepening relations with Moscow. To a question on Pak-Russia energy cooperation, the foreign minister said the incumbent government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs.
He said Pakistan valued its cooperation with Russia, the United States, and Europe and that the country consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
