Gilani meets Russian envoy discuss regional, international issues


ISLAMABAD, Sep 25 (APP):Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan highly values its bilateral relations with Russia and is keen to further deepen the mutual collaboration in diverse sectors.
The Chairman Senate made these remarks in a meeting with Albert Khorev, Ambassador of Russia at the Parliament House on Wednesday.
The Chairman Senate expressed his satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Moscow, however, he observed that there is huge potential for enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, and other areas.
“We want to forge a long-term, multidimensional partnership with Russia, particularly in the fields of energy, defense, food, and people-to-people contacts” Gilani observed.
He said that parliamentary diplomacy carries huge importance and is instrumental in bringing the people together.
Chairman said that Pakistan is rich in agricultural land and we are keen to benefit from the Russian expertise in the field of agriculture.
The Ambassador agreed with the views of the Chairman Senate and said that Russia has huge experience and can assist Pakistan with advanced technology to boost the sector.
The chairman also invited the Russian Ambassador to visit Multan at a convenient time to witness the rich cultural history of Multan and see the potential of agriculture.
The Chairman Senate underscored the need for enhanced parliamentary linkages and said that positive inter-parliamentary cooperation has been established between the two sides which needs to be further consolidated through frequent exchanges.
Parliamentarians, he said, are the representatives of the people and they can efficiently bring people closer to work together for socio-economic development.
He emphasized that trade relations between the two countries need to be further enhanced and we are ready to work with Russia to further promote bilateral trade as there exists enormous potential for expansion and growth of bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade energy and connectivity.
The Chairman Senate also expressed his views about the regional situation and said that Russia is a key player in the region and we would like to work together to bring peace and stability in the region, particularly in Afghanistan.
He also thanked Russian leadership,  the government, and the Parliament for their support of the Palestinian cause and Kashmir issue.
During the meeting, the Russian  Ambassador thanked the Chairman Senate for the warm remarks and said that Russia also places relations with Pakistan in high esteem and both countries have a shared objective of regional development through enhanced trade, linkages, and multidimensional cooperation for the benefit of the people of the two sides.
He also presented a letter from the chairperson of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Mativenko expressing greetings to Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani for being elected as chairman senate and expressing her desire to work together to build strong ties.
The Chairman Senate thanked his counterpart and also expressed his good wishes for the parliament, government, and people of Russia.