Pakistan and Russia have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation and formulate a joint strategy to counter terrorist groups operating in the region, particularly those based in Afghanistan, in a move reflecting growing convergence between Islamabad and Moscow on regional security challenges.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev on the sidelines of meetings at the United Nations Headquarters.
According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, the two ministers discussed the evolving regional security environment and agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism, with particular emphasis on terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
The two sides also agreed to prepare a joint strategy to address the threat posed by regional terrorist organizations, describing counterterrorism cooperation as a shared priority.
During the meeting, Mohsin Naqvi said more than 25 terrorist groups were currently active in Afghanistan and stressed that eliminating the threat required collective regional efforts.
“It is our shared responsibility to eliminate these extremist organizations. We must work together to eradicate these groups,” the interior minister said.
The discussions also covered expanding cooperation in counter-narcotics operations, combating cybercrime, intelligence sharing, capacity building and conducting joint training exercises between the law enforcement institutions of the two countries.
Naqvi also invited his Russian counterpart to visit Pakistan to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the security sector.
The meeting comes amid Pakistan’s continued concerns over the presence of terrorist organizations operating from Afghan soil.
Islamabad has consistently maintained that terrorist groups, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), continue to use sanctuaries inside Afghanistan to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to prevent their territory from being used by terrorist organizations against neighboring countries and has called for coordinated regional efforts to address the threat.
The latest engagement between Islamabad and Moscow signals increasing cooperation between the two countries on counterterrorism and regional stability, particularly as security concerns linked to Afghanistan continue to dominate regional discussions.
Officials said the two countries remain committed to expanding security cooperation and working together against terrorism, organized crime and narcotics trafficking, while promoting peace and stability across the region.
