Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev Arrives in Pakistan on Four-Day Visit, the First Ever by a Russian Interior Minister

ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has arrived in Pakistan on a four-day official visit. According to the interior ministry, it is the first visit to Pakistan by any Russian interior minister, and is being described as the start of a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Arrival in Islamabad

The Russian minister reached Islamabad on Monday, October 12, where Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry received him. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The interior ministry says important discussions on strengthening bilateral relations and promoting mutual cooperation will take place during the stay, and the Russian minister will also hold meetings with the Pakistani leadership.

Cooperation agenda

According to the Russian interior ministry’s spokesperson, Kolokoltsev will familiarise himself with the work of police units in Pakistan, take part in official events and hold working meetings on the current state and prospects of law-enforcement cooperation between the two countries. In June this year, the two countries signed three security agreements in Bishkek covering cooperation against drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

Background

Engagement between Islamabad and Moscow has grown steadily in recent years, spanning trade, energy and regional cooperation. In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin described relations with Pakistan as genuinely mutually beneficial and reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to close ties with Islamabad, while Russia has also highlighted Pakistan’s membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as an important dimension of the relationship.