Russia Discusses Afghan Situation With Pakistan; Inks Military Cooperation Deal With Vietnam

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Pakistani National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf held bilateral consultations on security issues and discussed the situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday in Moscow, the Russian Security Council said.

“The parties exchanged views on regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan,” the message read.

Patrushev and Yusuf also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation between law enforcement bodies, intelligence agencies and military departments, placing special focus on issues of information security and the drug trade, as well as trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Pakistan.

File:Vladimir Putin in March 2018.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
File Image: Vladimir Putin – Wikimedia Commons

Concluding the consultations, Patrushev emphasized the dynamic nature of ties between Moscow and Islamabad, the effectiveness of regular top-level political dialogue, and interactions within the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, on Wednesday signed an agreement on defense industry cooperation between the countries, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“In Moscow, during a bilateral meeting, Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu and his Vietnamese counterpart, General of the Army Phan Van Giang, signed an intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation and an interdepartmental memorandum on cooperation in the field of military history,” the ministry said in a statement.

Shoigu spoke about Russia and Vietnam amassing a unique experience of cooperation based on long-standing friendship and mutually beneficial partnership.

“We invariably pay priority attention to cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres. Vietnam is one of the key states in the Asia-Pacific region with modern and well-equipped armed forces,” the Russian minister stated.

The ministers discussed prospects for military and technical cooperation as well as outlined a plan for future partnership at the closed part of the meeting.