Russia Offers to Help Ease Tensions Between Pakistan and Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD:Russia has offered to help reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and resolve outstanding issues between the two neighbouring countries.
Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) during an event on Pakistan-Russia relations, Russian Ambassador Albert P. Khorev said Moscow wanted an early resolution to border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the reopening of border crossings.
He said the closure of border crossings was affecting not only bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan but also commercial activities involving Central Asian countries and Russia.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Faisal Tirmizi, said that cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan into Pakistan remained a serious concern. He described Afghanistan as a complex issue that Pakistan and Russia were trying to resolve through their respective efforts.
Tirmizi said Russia was urging the Taliban to ensure that Afghan territory was not used against other countries. He added that the recent visit of the Russian interior minister demonstrated that there were no differences between Pakistan and Russia on this front.
Expressing optimism about the future of bilateral relations, Tirmizi said he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit Pakistan next year to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. He said relations between the two countries were steadily improving.
Former Pakistani ambassador Masood Khan, speaking at the event, said Pakistan should no longer be viewed merely through the lens of its relations with India or Afghanistan. Instead, he stressed the need to recognise Pakistan as an independent partner in regional and international affairs.
