Pakistan, Russia mark 70 years of diplomatic relations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Russian Federation marked 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

The Pakistan Foreign Office, in a statement paying tribute to the seven decades of relations between the two countries, said the Pak-Russia friendship is fast evolving into a mature partnership.

“Relations between the two countries are today characterised by mutual trust, commonality of interests, and convergence of views on important regional and global issues. Both countries have similar stakes in durable peace and stability in their common neighbourhood, and harbour shared aspirations for regional development and prosperity,” the statement read.

“The upward trajectory is being maintained through sustained high level interaction through strong institutional mechanisms and cementing cooperation in such diverse fields as trade & commerce; banking & finance; agriculture & industry; defence & security; education and technology, and energy & infrastructure development.”

The Foreign Office statement said the two countries have also collaborated closely at international forums including the United Nations. “Russia has been a strong supporter of Pakistan's membership of SCO which affords another useful platform for close cooperation on matters of common concern,” it stated.

“Pakistan views Russia as an important global power, a significant development partner, and a salient contributor to regional stability. We believe that long-term multidimensional strategic partnership between the two countries will be mutually beneficial for the people of Pakistan and the Russian Federation and would contribute towards regional peace and stability,” the statement added.