ISLAMABAD: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday reaffirmed Moscow’s desire to deepen relations with Pakistan under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) framework, with a particular focus on counter-terrorism cooperation.
The Russian Foreign Minister emphasised his country’s support for the normalisation of ties between India and Pakistan, noting its positive impact on regional stability.
“The Russian minister stressed the importance of a direct dialogue and greater mutual trust between New Delhi and Islamabad,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release.
Lavrov said this during a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Assistant to Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi in Moscow.
The meeting came as the senior aide of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, began a visit to Russia weeks after India and Pakistan clashed, following heightened tensions that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
Pakistan has since called for a “composite dialogue” with India to discuss all outstanding issues, though New Delhi has rejected direct talks after Washington said the two countries had agreed to meet at a neutral venue to defuse tensions.
Tariq Fatemi conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s warm greetings and reiterated the Pakistani leadership’s commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation with Russia across various sectors, including energy, connectivity, and trade.
The Pakistan Prime Minister’s senior aide gave a detailed briefing to the Russian Foreign Minister on recent developments in South Asia, outlining Pakistan’s concerns regarding regional escalation risks.
🇷🇺🇵🇰 On June 3, FM Sergey #Lavrov held a meeting with Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Tariq Fatemi.
The Officials discussed bilateral interaction as well as regional and international security.https://t.co/YSZ1ccwliI#RussiaPakistan pic.twitter.com/sfxM6uTI2l
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) June 3, 2025
Tariq Fatemi highlighted the serious implications of India’s threat to disrupt the flow of waters by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
On Pakistan-Russia bilateral ties, the Russian Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in bilateral cooperation and underscored key projects like the establishment of new Steel Mills and connectivity initiatives.
On Pakistan-India relations, Foreign Minister Lavrov stressed Russia’s support for the promotion of normal relations between the two countries and its positive effect on the region.
Syed Tariq Fatemi handed over a letter from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to President Vladimir Putin.
Russia and Pakistan have strengthened ties in recent years through growing bilateral cooperation, particularly in energy, and by working together on regional platforms such as the SCO, where both are full members.
