Pakistan, Russia discuss international security at 16th strategic stability talks in Moscow

Pakistani and Russian officials discussed international security and global stability at high-level talks in Moscow, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.

In a statement issued today, the FO said Spokesperson and Additional Secretary Tahir Andrabi and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister “discussed topical issues of international security and global stability” a day ago while co-chairing the 16th meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Consultative Group on Strategic Stability in Moscow.

He said the two sides had a “detailed and confident exchange of views” with discussions on issues related to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

“The meeting confirmed the affinity of approaches of Russia and Pakistan on most of the issues discussed. The parties confirmed their intention to continue such interaction and coordination in relevant international forums,” the FO said, adding that it was agreed to hold the 17th meeting of the consultative group next year in Islamabad.

This development came as coordination between Pakistan and Russia continues on various fronts. Last week, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said Pakistan was planning to increase oil imports from Russia due to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, as “Islamabad is looking for alternatives.”

Read: Government eyes fuel from Russia and Nigeria

The envoy claimed that demand for Russian energy resources had increased amid the crisis around the strategic waterway. “We produce around 10% of the energy resources we need ourselves, while we import the rest, mainly from the countries of the Persian Gulf. A serious crisis has emerged and that is why we began to look for alternatives,” he stated.

Tirmizi said: “We are now also considering building an oil pipeline from Central Asia and Russia at some point. This could mean connecting the Eurasian space through roads, railways, pipelines, humanitarian contacts and academic links,” he said, adding: “This is what we are really striving for now.”

Last month, Russia also appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, discussing “cooperation in multilateral forums in support of international peace and security.”

Read more: Pakistan gains access to Russian seafood market

In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin also affirmed his readiness to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. This followed a suicide attack on an Imambagah in Islamabad that claimed the lives of at least 31 people and injured dozens more.

In January, Putin praised growing relations between Moscow and Pakistan as “mutually beneficial” with cooperation expanding in all sectors.

The Russian embassy in Pakistan quoted Putin as saying: “We continue to cooperate closely with Pakistan. Pakistan is a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is the largest regional organization in the region in terms of economic, technical and human resources. Relations between Russia and Pakistan are mutually beneficial in the truest sense.”