ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia have expressed satisfaction over the "upward trajectory" of energy cooperation and vowed to further strengthen collaboration in several other arenas, the Pakistani Foreign Office said, after the two countries concluded the fifth round of bilateral political consultations on Tuesday.
The meeting came days after Pakistan welcomed on June 12 the first cargo of discounted Russian crude oil arranged under a deal struck between Islamabad and Moscow this year. Pakistan's purchase gives Russia a new outlet, adding to Moscow's growing sales to India and China as it redirects oil from Western markets because of the Ukraine conflict.
For Pakistan, the discounted crude offers relief to the South Asian nation as it faces a balance of payments crisis and is at risk of a default on its international debt obligations. Energy imports make up a majority of the South Asian country's external payments.
“[During the talks] the two sides reiterated their strong desire to deepen and diversify bilateral relations based on the principles of mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation and also expressed satisfaction at the upward trajectory of cooperation in the field of energy,” the Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement.
“They engaged in comprehensive and productive discussions to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and deepen understanding on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The talks encompassed a wide range of topics including political, economic, defense, energy, and people-to-people contacts.”
Aside from the energy sector, the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in higher education, culture and science, and technology, according to the statement. In the realm of security cooperation, both Pakistani and Russian delegations reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime.
The delegations also talked about enhancing cooperation in multilateral forums and exchanging views on regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and South Asia.
“Agreeing that the dividends of peace in Afghanistan would be beneficial for the entire region, they reaffirmed support for efforts for sustainable peace, stability, and continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” the statement read.
The consultations provide an opportunity to review the path of Pakistan-Russia relations and to explore new areas of cooperation, particularly in the context of commemorating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-Russia diplomatic relations this year.
The next round of Pakistan-Russia bilateral political consultations would be held in Moscow on mutually convenient dates, the Foreign Office added.
