Dushanbe, Tajikistan: Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of and the two exchanged views over the Afghanistan situation.
Foreign Minister Qureshi of Pakistan underlined the need for the international community to remain engaged in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Minister underscored the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan for regional security and prosperity. He emphasized the urgent need for the promotion of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in order to address the food and medicine shortage in the country.
The Foreign Minister further said that strengthening trade and investment relations and cooperation in energy sector were the cornerstones of engagement with Russia. In this context, Pakistan looked forward to holding of Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade and Investment in Russia later during the year. Foreign Minister also reaffirmed Government’s resolve for the early realization of Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project. Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked Foreign Minister Lavrov for enhancing scholarships for Pakistani students in academic institutions in Russia.
Pakistan and Russia enjoy close, friendly ties marked by mutual trust and understanding. Relations between Pakistan and Russia have been on an upward trajectory propelled by converging views on important regional and international issues, growing trust and increasing bilateral cooperation manifested by recent high-level interactions.
