Russia and Pakistan to Coordinate Efforts in Countering Terrorism

[Someoneforyou]

Russia and Pakistan to Coordinate Efforts in Countering Terrorism
RUSSIA - 12 MAY 2011

Russia and Pakistan will coordinate efforts and jointly counter terrorism, President Dmitry Medvedev said at his talks with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday, ITAR-TASS reports. "We seek to coordinate our efforts on the international arena," the Russian president said. In his words, "it is obvious that our countries face the absolutely similar threats. I mean international terrorism."

"We should do all in order to counter this evil of the 21st century," Medvedev said.

Opening the talks, the Russian leader said his meeting with the Pakistani president "have become regular". "I'm glad that you came to Russia. I hope that your visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg will give you more clearest images on the present state of affairs in our country," he said.

"Russian-Pakistani relations develop steadily. Businessmen, as well as regional and public circles have mutual interests," Medvedev said, adding that this year the Pakistani parliament chairman had to visit Russia. "I believe that our relations have rather good prospects. We should intensify economic cooperation that is why lately we' ve taken certain steps towards this aspect. But we should do much in the different fields," the Russian president said. "The success of our relations depends on how our position will be coordinated," he added.

Medvedev expressed hope that the documents, which would be signed in the Kremlin, "will facilitate the development of our trade and economic relations".

The Pakistani president assured his Russian colleague that the Pakistani people "sincerely wish to strengthen cooperation with Russia". "Although our borders do not join our hearts throb in unison," Zardari said. He thanked President Medvedev for "his personal contribution to relations between the two countries and the strengthening of friendship".


Source: Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service

 

[SpArK]

Good development . We too want half of the world co-ordinating counter terrorism in Pakistan , so that we can relax and just watch the show.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Pakistan, Russia boost ties
13 may 2011

MOSCOW: Russia and Pakistan on Thursday pledged to boost economic ties and coordinate efforts to fight terror as the Kremlin welcomed the Pakistani president for a key visit after the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Asif Ali Zardari was making the first official visit by a Pakistani leader since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"We are interested in coordinating our efforts on the international arena. It is obvious that our countries are facing absolutely the same threat, I mean international terrorism," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Zardari at the Kremlin.

"We have to do everything so that we could jointly counter this main evil of the 21st century," Medvedev said in comments released by the Kremlin.

Russia has for years been struggling to root out a Muslim insurgency in the North Caucasus following two wars with separatists in Chechnya after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin says Caucasus militants receive support from abroad.

Zardari, who kicked off his three-day trip to Russia on Wednesday, expressed hope his historic visit would help deepen ties between the two countries which share a complicated history.

"Our countries are very close neighbours. We are located in the same region. And although we do not share borders our hearts beat in unison," Zardari said.

"The time has come to acknowledge the importance of our countries for each other and the importance of regional cooperation and to also ramp up economic and political joint work," he said.

Zardari's father-in-law, late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was the country's last leader to make an official visit to Russia when he travelled here in Soviet times, the Pakistani president said.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of several framework agreements on cooperation including in energy and agriculture and adopted a joint declaration highlighting the importance of tighter economic cooperation.

"Projects of regional development can secure prosperity for all the peoples in the region," said the declaration, adding it supported Russian companies willing to pursue economic, infrastructure and banking projects in Pakistan.

Those projects would include plans by gas giant Gazprom to develop gas fields in Pakistan, the declaration said, while Tyazhpromexport, part of state conglomerate Russian Technologies, would help modernise a metals plant in Karachi.

Vedomosti business daily, citing a source close to the management of Russian Technologies, said on Wednesday that the two countries were expected to agree on a $540 million deal for Pakistan to upgrade the Soviet-built Karachi-based Pakistan Steel.

A Kremlin spokesman could not say Thursday whether the loan was discussed during the talks.

The Kremlin also said Zardari supported a plan for Russia to join a project to build a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan.

The Russian trip is Zardari's first high-profile visit abroad since Al-Qaeda chief Osama, leader, the world's most wanted man, was killed in a raid by US forces on a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan.

The Kremlin hailed the death of bin Laden as a "serious success... in the war against international terrorism" but Pakistan has expressed fury that US forces carried out the raid without informing Islamabad first.

Moscow suggested Washington had the right to kill Osama in Pakistan, saying the UN Security Council recognised the right to self-defence.

Moscow is not usually seen as an ally of Islamabad, not least because of its historically close ties to Pakistan's traditional foe India.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes hands with Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari

Source: Channel News Asia

 

[Someoneforyou]

Russian help likely for power plans
PAKISTAN - 15 MAY 2011

ISLAMABAD, May 15: Leading Russian companies Gazprom, Zarubezhneftegaz and Inter Raoues are keen to develop Pakistan's energy sector and will help build power generating facilities and develop gas fields.

This assurance was given to President Asif Ali Zardari during his three-day visit to Russia (May 11-13) during which the leadership of the two countries held discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues.

The Russian business community showed keen interest in working together with the Pakistan government and businesses in a number of commercial, infrastructure and banking projects.

Russia's state-owned enterprise Tyazhpromeexport is ready to take part in the modernisation of Pakistan Steel Mills to increase its production.

President Zardari supported Russia's offer to participate in the projects and underscored the need for their early realisation.

The two sides expressed interest in implementing projects pertaining to the creation of a system that would transmit electricity from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan (KASA-1000) and build Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. The $7.5 billion TAPI gas project will be the backbone for Pakistan's industry and economy.

Both Russia and Pakistan recognised the need for promoting trans-regional economic and trade cooperation.

Talking to APP, Board of Investment chairman Salim H. Mandviwala said that areas of cooperation between Pakistan and Russian were numerous.

Russian companies, he said, desired to work in Pakistan's oil and gas fields sector, develop petroleum and natural gas storages and infrastructure and initiate projects for using natural gas as motor fuel.

He said that Russian company Stroytransgaz expressed interest in building transnational gas pipeline projects of Pakistan from Turkmenistan, Iran or Qatar.

Similarly, he said, Gazprom Geoservice Petroleum Company agreed to construct oil and gas storage facilities and help train Pakistani people in oil and gas fields.

He said that Russian auto manufacturers had already visited Pakistan and expressed interest in manufacturing automobiles in Pakistan.

He said that main Russian automobile manufacturers were interested in investing in Pakistan, adding that Lada was interested in manufacturing cars of 1300cc, Samara in cars of 800cc and Nova in cars of 800cc.

Mr Mandviwala said that a delegation of Russia's heavy mechanical industry had also visited Pakistan.

He said Pakistan was interested in Russian help in upgrading the Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC), Taxila; Pakistan Machine Tool Factory, Karachi, value addition in the textile sector, automobile manufacturing with transfer of technology as well as expansion of the Pakistan Steel Mills. President Zardari invited Russian entrepreneurs to invest in small-scale 5-10MW power plants in Pakistan.


Source: Dawn Media Group

 

[amoy]

No doubt China has a role in this warming-up btwn PK and RU. Don't forget it was PK (also Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) who brokered the normalization of Sino-US ties (Kissinger's secret visit of China was via PK). Now it's China's turn to do sth. for PK with RU.

Moscow is not usually seen as an ally of Islamabad, not least because of its historically close ties to Pakistan's traditional foe India.

Reshuffling ah ha