Daily Times

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that military cooperation between Pakistan and Russia would not only help improve peace and stability in the region but also usher economic prosperity.

He said this while meeting General Oleg Salyukov, the commander in chief of Russian ground forces, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

During the meeting, matters related to enhanced security and training cooperation and measures to further expand joint military ties between the two armies were discussed, it added. General Bajwa said that Pakistan did not believe in ‘zero sum games’ but rather in integration and cooperation.

The visiting dignitary appreciated the Pakistan Army’s professionalism and achievements in the war on terrorism. He said the world should appreciate more what Pakistan had achieved. He also expressed his country’s desire to forge strong and broad-based relations with Pakistan.

Earlier, upon his arrival at the GHQ, the Russian army chief laid a floral wreath at the Martyr’s Monument (Yadgar-e-Shuhada). A contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a guard of honour to the visiting dignitary.

Later, General Salyukov visited Air Headquarters in Islamabad.

A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force presented him a guard of honour. The Russian commander paid homage to the martyrs of the PAF by laying a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument. Later, the visiting dignitary called on Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan in his office. Various matters pertaining to regional security and bilateral relations came under discussion during the meeting. Both the dignitaries agreed to further enhance and expand mutual cooperation and defence ties between the two countries.

Separately, French National Defence and Security Secretary General Claire Landais called on General Bajwa at the GHQ.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, including defence and security cooperation and overall regional security situation, were discussed.

Both sides highlighted the need to increase military-level interactions between the two countries to bolster defence ties.

The visiting dignitary appreciated the role of the Pakistan Army in battling the scourge of terrorism in the country and for maintenance of peace and stability in the region.