Russia said late on Tuesday that it will provide every possible support to Pakistan to make it a developed country, Radio Pakistan reported. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated his country’s support to Islamabad while responding to a question during a press briefing. Lavrov acknowledged Islamabad’s efforts in the war on terror, observing that militants spread inside Afghanistan along the area bordering Pakistan pose a grave threat. The foreign minister added that several agreements have signed between the two countries that also included provision of helicopters and military equipment. He noted that Pakistan’s presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will strengthen the ties between Russia and Pakistan. Pakistan had been an observer with the SCO since 2005 and applied for its full membership in 2010. The decision, in principle, to give membership to Pakistan was taken by the SCO Heads of States meeting held in Ufa, Russia, in 2015. A strong ally of Islamabad, Russia threw its weight behind Pakistan’s efforts to become member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), an exclusive club of nuclear trading nations, in December 2017. The support for Pakistan’s bid came from a Russian diplomat, who told a conference that Moscow was not opposed to Pakistan’s NSG candidature and had no intention to block it. He praised the steps taken by Pakistan for strengthening its national export control programme that complied with the spirit of international regimes and conventions. Published in Daily Times, January 18th 2018.