ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia signed a defence cooperation agreement on Thursday.
Signed
by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergey
Shoigu, the agreement was hailed by Pakistan’s defence ministry as “a
milestone” in defence ties between the two countries.
Mr Shoigu is
in Islamabad on the first visit by Russian defence minister to Pakistan
since the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is accompanied by a
41-member delegation.
The agreement provides for exchange of
information on politico-military issues; cooperation for promoting
international security; intensification of counter-terrorism and arms
control activities; strengthening collaboration in various military
fields, including education, medicine, history, topography, hydrography
and culture; and sharing experiences in peacekeeping operations. The two sides discussed joint efforts for fighting international terrorism and drug trafficking.
The
hype surrounding the defence agreement, notwithstanding, there were no
specific agreements on procurement or joint ventures. A recent statement
by Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Dedov that Moscow had
“politically approved” a deal for MI-35 helicopter had raised hopes of a
major agreement during the defence minister’s visit.
“During the
meeting, we agreed that bilateral military cooperation should have a
great practical focus and contribute to increasing combat efficiency of
our armed forces,” Mr Shoigu was quoted by ITAR-TASS as having said.
“During
the meeting, we agreed that bilateral military cooperation should have a
great practical focus and contribute to increasing combat efficiency of
our armed forces,” the Russian defence minister said, adding that
implementation of the agreement would bolster other aspects of bilateral
cooperation.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a statement
that “both sides will translate this relationship in tangible terms and
further strengthen military to military relations”. Later, Mr Shoigu called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“Pakistan
is keen to enhance its multi-dimensional relations with Moscow,
including defence,” Mr Sharif told the Russian minister.
The prime
minister appreciated Russia’s support for Pakistan’s candidature for
full membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). He said
Pakistan was ready to enhance cooperation with other countries of the
region, through SCO for countering dual challenges of terrorism and drug
trafficking.
In reply to a question at a briefing, Foreign Office
spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said Pakistan looked at Russia as an
important global player with a role in this region’s peace and
stability. “We have been forging very good cooperation. Our
bilateral relations are on an upward trajectory and it’s not just
defence, we are looking at cooperation across the board.”
She said
Islamabad wanted greater Russian participation in economic development
projects and investment in Pakistan. “There are various initiatives in
the works.”
