Pakistan urges diplomatic resolution of Russia-Ukraine conflict

MOSCOW: Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means, saying that developing countries like Pakistan were facing consequences in terms of its economic impact, ARY News reported on Monday.

According to details, the foreign minister made these remarks while addressing a joint press conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Moscow.

“We have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles which diplomacy cannot surmount. Ukraine conflict is no exception. Developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences of the conflict in terms of economic impact,” the foreign minister said.

He expressed that hope that the “strong tradition of diplomacy of Russia would help achieve the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

FM Bilawal Bhutto said that Pakistan considered Russia an important player in West, South and Central Asia and that the country would keep up high-level contact with the Russian Federation.

Apprising the media of their meeting, the Foreign Minister said that their “friendly” and “detailed” discussion encompassed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional matters.

He said both countries were celebrating the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and that Pakistan desired to strengthen its cooperation with Russia in the fields of trade, security, defence, counter-terrorism, education and people-to-people contacts.

He mentioned the summit-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand as well as the 8th Inter-Government Commission held in Islamabad which focused on trade, economy and energy cooperation.

FM Bilawal Bhutto said during their meeting, they also discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora including the United Nations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto told the media that Pakistan and Russia had “good cooperation” on Afghanistan and wanted to achieve common goals of peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Met with FM Sergey Lavrov @mfa_russia. Had discussion on bilat., reg. & int. issues.🇵🇰 🇷🇺 relations have come a long way during last 2 decades;reiterated commitment to upward trajectory esp. in fields of econ, trade & energy. Emphasized dialogue & diplomacy as the path to peace. pic.twitter.com/k1zfESqvJD

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 30, 2023

To a question on Pak-Russia energy cooperation, the foreign minister said the incumbent government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs.

He said Pakistan valued its cooperation with Russia, the United States, and Europe and that the country consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.

In his remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was satisfied over its military cooperation with Pakistan and that both countries were holding regular military contacts including joint exercises and military training.

He said the elimination of terrorism from the region was directly linked with Afghanistan they had agreed to use the capacities of SCO, particularly its contact group on Afghanistan for the purpose.

The Russian foreign minister condemned the terrorist attack in Peshawar mosque earlier on the day, and called for global cooperation for the elimination of terrorism.

He said during the meeting they discussed building humanitarian, cultural and educational links.