Qureshi meets Lavrov, says energy partnership ‘strong pillar’ in Pak-Russia ties

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD/NEW YORK: Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Sergey Lavrov, the Pakistani and Russian foreign ministers, respectively, on Friday met on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and talked bilateral cooperation as well as regional issues.

Qureshi "appreciated cooperation with Russia in the field of energy and termed it as a ‘strong pillar’ of [the] partnership between the two countries," the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release issued late night.

"The two Ministers discussed broader areas of mutual cooperation including trade and investment, peace and security, and development cooperation," it added.

The Pakistani foreign minister also highlighted that the "gradually increasing multi-dimensional partnership" between Islamabad and Moscow needed to be translated into a "multi-faceted strategic partnership".

With regard to South Asia's regional matters, the "two leaders also discussed the on-going efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan".