PESHAWAR - Amid stepped-up diplomatic efforts, Moscow and Islamabad are set to exchange views on the Afghan peace process next week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a leading newspaper reported on Friday.
Dawn quoted unnamed sources as saying the two sides would focus on ways of promoting the Afghan peace process.
Lavrov will be the first Russian foreign minister to visit Pakistan since 2012. Before arriving in Islamabad on April 6, Lavrov will visit New Delhi along with Russia’s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov.
Besides conferring on the situation in Afghanistan, the two sides would also discuss bilateral relations, including economic cooperation, counterterrorism and socio-economic ramifications of Covid-19.
Russia and Pakistan, after decades of rivalry, have developed strategic trust and a commonality of views on various issues, including Afghanisran.
Last month, in an effort to break the logjam in the ongoing Afghan peace process, Moscow hosted a conference attended by Pakistan, the United States, China and representatives from the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Russia, Pakistan, China and Iran are worried a possible pullout of US forces from Afghanistan without a prior peace deal could threaten regional security.
Later this month, Turkey will host a UN-led summit to speed up the Afghan peace process. (Pajhwok)