ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army and the Russian military will be holding joint military drills from October 21 to November 4. According to Vadim Astafyev, head of the press service of the Russian Southern Military District, the joint drills – Friendship 2018 – will be held at a training range in northwestern town of Pabbi. More than 70 troopers from Russia’s southern military district will participate in the drills. The servicemen from the two armed forces will perform drills at an altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level, Astafyev added. Russia and Pakistan have been holding the ‘Friendship’ drills since 2016. In 2017, over 200 servicemen took part in the drills, which were held in the North Caucasus at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level. In August, Pakistan and Russia reached a historic agreement allowing officers from the country’s armed forces to train in Russia. The deal was concluded at the end of the inaugural meeting of Russia-Pakistan Joint Military Consultative Committee in Rawalpindi. The talks between the two countries were headed by Defence Secretary Zamirul Hassan Shah and visiting Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col Gen Alexander Fomin. Pakistan and Russia have stepped up cooperation in the defence sector since 2014 when the two nations signed an agreement for boosting bilateral ties. Published in Daily Times, October 17th 2018.