ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq underlined the need for enhancing parliamentary relations between the National Assembly of Pakistan and Russian State Duma.

Talking to his counterpart Chairman of Russian State Duma (National Assembly) Sergey Naryshkin, Mr Sadiq said that lawmakers could help bring the two countries closer.

During the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Assembly of Collective Security Treaty Organisation being held at Saint Petersburg in Russia, Mr Sadiq thanked Mr Naryshkin for arranging a parliamentary dialogue on security issues.

A wide range of matters came under discussion during the meeting, said a message received here on Friday.

He said that lawmakers needed to address critical issues of terrorism and extremism which were now a global threat and world major players should play their role in resolving global disputes.

Mr Naryshkin said that Duma desired to strengthen its relations with Pakistani legislature.

He congratulated Mr Sadiq on his election as Speaker of the National Assembly. He agreed that terrorism was a serious threat to global peace and security and, therefore, lawmakers should play their role in finding a solution to the problem.

He said that finding a solution for longstanding disputes was imperative for global peace. He apprised the Speaker for formation of a Russia-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in Russian State Duma.

Later, Kabibolla K. Jakupov, Speaker of the Mazhilis (House of Representative) of Kazakhstan, met Speaker of the National Assembly. Talking to the Kazakh Speaker, Mr Sadiq said that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Kazakhstan and it wanted to boost them through regular interactions between parliamentarians of the two countries and enhanced economic cooperation.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2015