Russian FM Lavrov Arrives In Islamabad On 2-day Visit

Islamabad, Oct 4, IRNA -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov arrived in Islamabad Wednesday evening on a two-day official visit for bilateral consultations, state television reported. He will hold official talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar, on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said. During his stay in Islamabad besides holding bilateral consultations, Foreign Minister Lavrov is also scheduled to call on the President and the Prime Minister, a Foreign Ministry statement said. The visit of Foreign Minister Lavrov would provide an opportunity to further expand and intensify the existing mutually beneficial bilateral ties, the Foreign Ministry said. “Pakistan and Russia enjoy an excellent relationship based on mutuality of interest in enhancing greater bilateral cooperation and convergence of views on various important regional and international issues,” it said. The two countries also share the common objective of peace and stability in the broader region and attach importance to regional connectivity both in terms of trade and energy cooperation, the statement said. Recently, the two countries also held their Second Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Islamabad and discussed concrete proposals on various areas of cooperation including Energy, Industries and Production, Bilateral Trade and Investment, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Agriculture. Lavrvo’s visit was announced day after the Foreign Ministry said that the visit to Islamabad by Russian President Vladimir Putin was postponed, scheduled for this week. President Putin was scheduled to attend the quadrilateral summit, which was planned to be held in Islamabad from Oct 2-3. Leaders from Afghanistan and Tajikistan were scheduled to attend the summit. The Russian Foreign Minister's visit coincided with the visit of Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, who embarked on a four-day visit to Russia on Wednesday. General Kayani is visiting Russia on the invitation of his Russian counterpart./end