NEW YORK: The Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed Pakistan’s desire for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia in diverse fields, emphasizing the need for promoting trade and economic cooperation.
The desire was expressed when Khawaja Asif met his Russian Counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the 72th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
During the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed mutual efforts for strengthening of Pakistan-Russia relations and the prevailing international and regional security situation.
They also had in-depth discussion on the efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The Russian foreign minister suggested that the forthcoming Intergovernmental Commission should explore concrete measures for enhancing trade, investment and energy connectivity between Russia and Pakistan.
Sergei Lavrov extended invitation to Khawaja Asif to visit Moscow for bilateral consultations on strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views about the international and regional issues.
Asif attends informal meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers
Separately, the Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif participated in the Informal Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in New York which was hosted and chaired by Nepal’s Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
In his remarks, Khawaja Asif reiterated Pakistan’s full commitment to SAARC’s principles and objectives and highlighted the Organization’s potential in promoting progress and prosperity in South Asia through enhanced regional integration.
Asif also stressed that Pakistan considered SAARC an important platform for organizing a collective response to regional challenges, particularly the region’s development needs.
The foreign minister said Pakistan wanted SAARC to utilize the full potential of the region and called for constructive engagement towards this end.
