Pakistan, Russia agree to boost counterterror cooperation

Pakistan and Russia agreed to strengthen collaborative efforts to effectively combat terrorism, underscoring the mutual benefits of such cooperation, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Friday after a joint working group (JWG) meeting on counterterrorism and security challenges. During the meeting, the two sides discussed various forms of radicalisation, the spread of terrorist ideologies, and the misuse of information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes, the statement added. According to the Foreign Office, Additional Foreign Secretary Syed Haider Shah and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin co-chaired the 10th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Joint Working Group on 'Combating International Terrorism and Other Challenges to Security', held on Thursday. Both sides resolved to work together in combating the financing of terrorism and in other key areas of counterterrorism. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both Pakistan and Russia to continue their cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The Foreign Office said that discussion was held on the global and regional terrorist threats, with a particular focus on the situations in Afghanistan, Central and South Asia, and North Africa, adding that the two sides recognised the importance of their partnership in maintaining regional and global security. The dialogue underscored the complexity of the terrorism landscape and the need for continued vigilance. Both sides outlined their respective national strategies for combating terrorism and shared their experiences and the best practices, it added. The meeting was part of regular exchanges against the backdrop of Pakistan-Russia bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation. Discussions on enhancing cooperation in multilateral forums, such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), were particularly fruitful, the FO said.