Pakistan ready to boost armed forces cooperation with Russia

Pakistan and Russia announced a plan of enhancement of defense relations during a high profile meeting involving both countries’ defense and security establishments, being reported by Pakistan’s military mouthpiece Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) on Wednesday. While the Soviet Union and Pakistan were closely associated during the Cold War when the latter fell under the US influence, the recent years have witnessed Islamabad keen on re-establishing stronger relations with Moscow. This shift also comprises the demands of reasonably priced crude oil to cope with economic issues, and it shows how Pakistan seeks to diversify the relations with counterparts.

Specifically for these talks, high-ranking members of the Pakistani defense officials met during the visit of Chief of General Staff Sahir Shamshad Mirza to Russia, where the parties identified their common interests in promoting cooperation in spheres of connectivity, trade, energy, security etc. It has been reported by the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) that both sides underlined the commitment to cooperate in the form of defence military-to-military technical cooperation, concerns of the region and the shared fight against terrorism. Both sides also avow that it is their intention to enhance the military aspects of this relationship.

Pakistan has depended on United States’ military equipment in the past but has sponsored ‘joint productions’ with China in defense industry as it considers Beijing a strategic partner in the region. Shehbaz Sharif’s latest contact with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO meeting clearly suggested the fact that the two are moving forward to strengthen the bilateral bond between Pakistan and Russia without any strings attached and without any reference to other countries.