By Aamir Latif
KARACHİ, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan and Russia held their first-ever direct talks on regional and bilateral issues in Islamabad on Wednesday, a sign of the growing relations between the two countries, officials said.
The talks followed their first joint military exercise between the two forces in Pakistan in last September – an indication of Islamabad’s foreign policy shift from its longtime military and defense partner, the U.S.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakria said in a statement the talks covered: “The whole range of regional issues as well as key areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation and connectivity, were discussed. The two sides also exchanged views on important global and regional developments."
The Russian side was led by foreign ministry official Alexander V. Sternik while Pakistan was represented by Ahmad Hussain Dayo, Director General (West Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A senior foreign ministry official told Anadolu Agency, on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to speak to media, the latest round of the talks was an extension of a bilateral defense cooperation agreement signed during Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to Islamabad in 2014.
Islamabad last year also signed a landmark defense deal which included the procurement of four Mi-35 helicopters from Moscow, a move seen by many analysts as Islamabad’s efforts to exploit new regional alignments following growing defense and economic relations between the U.S. and India.
Analysts also attached great importance to the joint military exercise in September as Moscow reportedly rejected New Delhi’s demand for its cancellation after a militant attack on an Indian army base in Indian-held Kashmir killed 19 Indian soldiers, which India claimed Pakistan was linked to.
The next round of consultations will be in Moscow in 2017, the foreign office spokesman said.