Islamabad, Moscow also agreed to strengthen cooperative efforts to effectively fight the menace of terrorism
- Pakistan, Russia discuss enhancing bilateral ties, combating terrorism.
- The JWG stressed the complexity of the terror scenario and the need for vigilance.
- Both sides discuss forms of radicalization and spread of terrorist ideologies.
Pakistan and Russia outlined their national strategies and measures against terrorism at the 10th meeting of the Joint Working Group to Combat International Terrorism and other Security Challenges in Islamabad on November 16, the Foreign Office said on Friday.
Additional Foreign Secretary Ambassador Syed Haider Shah and Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Ambassador Sergei Vershinin co-chaired the meeting.
Apart from sharing experiences and best practices, both sides highlighted the importance of national efforts in the comprehensive fight against terrorism.
Separately, Islamabad and Moscow met with acting Foreign Minister Jalil Jilani and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister to discuss enhancing bilateral ties, counter-terrorism cooperation and regional stability.
A statement issued by the FO regarding the JWG meeting said that the Pakistani and Russian ambassadors discussed in detail the global and regional terrorist threats with special focus on the situations in Afghanistan, Central and South Asia and North Africa.
The complexity of the terrorism scenario and the need for constant vigilance were also emphasized in the talks.
The meeting was part of regular exchanges in the backdrop of Pakistan-Russia bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperative efforts to effectively combat terrorism, underscoring the mutual benefits of such cooperation.
The discussions on enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) were particularly useful. Both sides resolved to work together in combating terrorism financing and other key areas of counter-terrorism.
The two sides also discussed various forms of radicalization, spread of terrorist ideologies and misuse of information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes. They agreed on the need for comprehensive strategies to meet these challenges.
The meeting ended with reaffirmation of the commitment of both Pakistan and Russia to continue their cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Both sides recognized the importance of their partnership in maintaining regional and global security.
The next meeting of the working group will be held in 2024.
