Russia offers to ease Pakistan-Afghanistan tension...

Summary

• Russia has expressed its willingness to help reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan as deteriorating relations between the two neighbours continue to raise concerns over cross-border terrorism and regional security.
• During recent regional consultations on Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the Taliban administration, while Pakistan called for concrete action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
• Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan recently said Pakistan valued its engagement with Russia on Afghanistan and regional security.

AI Generated Summary

Russia has expressed its willingness to help reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan as deteriorating relations between the two neighbours continue to raise concerns over cross-border terrorism and regional security.

Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev said Moscow was concerned about the growing friction between Islamabad and Kabul and was ready to contribute to efforts aimed at resolving their differences. He made the remarks during a discussion on Pakistan-Russia relations at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Monday.

Khorev also highlighted the economic consequences of the continued closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He said the disruption was affecting Pakistan’s trade links with Central Asia and Russia, expressing hope that the border would reopen and relations between the two countries would improve.

The Russian ambassador revealed that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan were discussed during Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev’s recent visit to Islamabad. The visit coincided with increased Russian diplomatic engagement across the region, including contacts with Afghan Taliban officials and consultations in India.