NSA Mooed Yusuf meets Russian counterpart in Dushanbe

ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf on Wednesday met with his Russian counterpart during his visit to Tajikistan, who extended a special invitation to visit Moscow.

Dr Moeed Yousuf met with Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev in Dushanbe at the sidelines of the 16th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.

The two sides pledged to further deepen and diversify Pak-Russia relations. However, the matters pertaining to regional security situation and the prevailing situation in Afghanistan was also discussed during the meeting. The Russian counterpart extended a special invitation to Dr Moeed Yusuf to visit Moscow.

A day earlier, Dr Moeed Yusuf held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of Security Council of Tajikistan Nasrullo Mahmudzoda. The adviser was accompanied by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Imran Haider.

Dr Moeed Yusuf extended felicitations to his Tajik Counterpart on the assumption of the SCO Chair and best wishes for the successful holding the meeting as well as the upcoming 20th anniversary of the SCO Summit in Dushanbe in September later this year.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the excellent bilateral ties between Pakistan and Tajikistan and reiterated their resolve to further deepen and diversify these ties for mutual benefit.

Dr Moeed Yusuf said that both Countries needed to pay special focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, transport, connectivity, energy, defence and security.

He highlighted that Pakistani seaports including Gwadar offered the most economic and efficient route to Tajikistan for its connectivity with the outer world through sea. He said that Pakistan and Tajikistan shared the longest borders with Afghanistan, and therefore needed to cooperate closely for regional peace & security.

The Tajik Secretary of Security Council Nasrullo Mahmudzoda expressed gratitude on behalf of his government for Pakistan’s continued assistance in humanitarian and technical spheres including the provision of capacity building training to Tajik servicemen.

He remarked that bilateral ties between Pakistan and Tajikistan are flourishing day by day and the recent visit of the Tajik President to Pakistan has added yet another impetus to these ties. The two dignitaries resolved to maintain regular contacts for further boosting the bilateral ties.