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Russia, Pakistan to promote ties

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail E. Fradkov wrapped up a three-day visit to Pakistan on Friday with a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf at which both leaders expressed keenness to consolidate bilateral relations.

This was the first ever visit by a Russian Prime Minister to Pakistan in nearly 40 years — Premier Alexy Kosygin visited Pakistan in 1969 — and was welcomed here as a signal of Russia's willingness to put behind past bitterness over the 1980s conflict in Afghanistan to explore a new, mainly economic relationship, with Islamabad.

During the visit, Pakistan and the Russian Federation signed two agreements, one on promoting cooperation in the fields of culture, arts, archaeology, archives and cinema and the other for increasing cooperation in combating illicit trafficking, abuse of narcotics and psychotropic substances. According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Mr. Fradkov handed over a special written message addressed to Gen. Musharraf from President Vladimir Putin.

"The Russian Prime Minister reciprocated the sentiments expressed by the President in terms of opening a new chapter in Pakistan-Russia bilateral relations. He said Pakistan enjoyed an important place in Russia's foreign policy and that Russia deeply appreciated Pakistan's endeavours towards peace, amity and prosperity in the region," the statement said.

Gen. Musharraf underlined the "vast opportunities" that existed for collaboration. He said "it was Pakistan's desire to consolidate further its relations with the Russian Federation and to open up new areas of collaboration".

Gen. Musharraf listed sectors such as oil and gas, railways, water and power, and promotion of trade and defence sales as the possible areas of co-operation.

Writing in Pakistan Observer, former Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar noted the visit "promises to give a needed impetus to co-operation" with Pakistan. He urged both the sides to "open the door to rapid expansion in bilateral co-operation in trade and investment by reviewing the veto it allowed in the past to exercise over supply of defence equipment and technology to Pakistan".

Already, Russia has indicated its readiness to overlook Indian concerns on this issue. The JF-17 Thunder aircraft that China has developed for Pakistan has the Russian RD-93 engine.

Two fighter aircraft have arrived in Pakistan and six more are expected this year. Thus far, Russia has not objected to the re-export of the engines from China to a third country. During the visit, Mr. Fradkov also met his Pakistan counterpart Shaukat Aziz.

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